


Where Dreams Are

by parisbelle



Category: Start-Up (Korea TV), StartUp (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Coming of Age, F/M, Family, Romance, Slice of Life, Slow Burn, jinjae
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-03
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:01:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 22,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28418772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/parisbelle/pseuds/parisbelle
Summary: She always had to be the prickly pear who saw life with caution and took every opportunity as though it was her last one. Life just sort of forced her to be that way. It just so happened life forced a certain Han Ji Pyeong to be as well.
Relationships: Han Ji Pyeong/Won In Jae
Comments: 32
Kudos: 200





	1. maze-like world

**Author's Note:**

> Like for many, Start Up left a lot to be desired for me. The biggest disappointment to me is how In Jae never got the story she deserves. The other is the wasted potential of pairing In Jae with Ji Pyeong. Imagine the dynamic power couple we could’ve had instead of the tired love triangle among two young adults and one adult several years their senior? Absolutely insane. With that said, this is my partial rewrite of Start Up. Events take place right before timeskip and some events after timeskip from the original drama are not part of this story. This story focuses mostly around In Jae since I feel like the show did a good enough job describing and characterizing Ji Pyeong.
> 
> Characters are in no way in character since I am not the original screenwriter but they are what I interpret them to be. Hope you all enjoy!

_In this maze-like world, how do I not get lost?_

There were plenty of times when In Jae thought about the choices she made, such as leaving her biological dad and sister, and the choices she _didn’t_ make, such as never reaching out to her grandma.

She went through plenty of restless nights the first time she moved into the apartment of her step father. It was grand, luxurious, and best of all— _she_ finally _had an entire room to herself!_

Except, thoughts of what she didn’t do and what she should’ve done kept haunting her. Was Dal Mi alright? What about appa? Was halmoni bending her back to support two extra mouths?

Those thoughts continued to swarm in her mind the next morning.

“Did you have a nice sleep?” Her step dad had asked her as she emerged from her bedroom and sat herself across her older step brother the next morning. She greeted him, to which he ignored her. 

_Rude boy._

Not wanting to seem ungrateful by admitting she had troubles sleeping, In Jae plastered a smile. “The room you provided was very comfortable. It was very gracious of you. I had a nice sleep.”

Pleased, the man nodded. “Good to hear. You’ll need your rest. You’re going to have a busy day ahead of you today.”

“I will?” 

“Yes,” The man took a sip from the glass of water in his hand, slamming it firmly on the table and eliciting a slight jolt from In Jae. A servant came rushing shortly with a pitcher of water to refill. “Your mother told me about your interest in your previous father’s business. How would you like to learn more about mine?”

 _Previous father._ There was a weird, foreign feeling to hear the man she grew up with being addressed that way. Does that mean she would eventually have to call her step father, father? What would that mean for her biological father? And would he have given her a chance like this?

She looked around the table for her mom for reassurance and realized, for the first time, that the woman wasn’t present. _Odd… is she not awake right now?_

Turning back to her step dad, In Jae accepted, “I’d like that very much, sir.”

The man nodded in approval while her step brother immediately protested. “What? Appa, what about _me_ ? I thought you were teaching _me_!”

In Jae rolled her eyes as her step dad said some discerning words towards his son. Her step brother might have had no experience of sharing his dad’s attention but In Jae did. Not that she minded, of course, but there were times when she had felt that her biological dad never gave her a proper chance. 

_“Appa,” she had asked when she noticed her exhausted dad returning home from a job but with empty pockets. “Did you not charge her again?”_

_“In Jae-ah,” the man sounded startled, looking up from the design he had in hand. In Jae’s eyes slightly narrowed, knowing very well her dad’s tendency to overdesign. While meticulous, he often let his imagination get ahead of himself, including additions and features that drove up costs for the client and messed up his original estimations._

_She admired her dad’s ambitions but it hurt to see his sunken shoulders when his client refused to pay extra. Such was the way of life, she realized. She might have been taught that one should always strive for excellence but she learned that efforts don’t immediately correlate with recognition and success._

_“Sometimes,” her dad knelt down, placing two hands on her shoulders with a tired smile. “You have to make sacrifices in order to continue chasing what you believe in.”_

_“I get that,” In Jae said. “But why do more when your boss didn’t tell you to_ _—_ _” but her words were drowned out by the cheerful screams of her incoming younger sister. “Appa! Appa! Appa!”_

_Her dad looked behind her, his eyes glowing brightly at the sight of Dalmi immediately rushing into his arms. “Ah look at my Dalmi! How is she today?”_

_“Good!”_

_Seeing her dad was no longer interested in their conversation, In Jae had walked away that night, tucking herself in bed as she tried ignoring the lively conversation her younger sister had with their dad. She never understood their excitement and grand plans. Maybe she lacked the imagination to follow the vision they carried._

_She always stuck with what was currently possible and could be possible in the future._

Fathers, whether it be her biological or non biological, needed unconditional support. Not the unwanted opinion that her presence gave.

—

“Congratulations, Seo Dal Mi. We would love to hire you.”

There was a silent pause before an onslaught of yells ripped through her eardrums.

“Omma, omma, did you get hired Dal Mi?”

“Good job Dal Mi!”

“So exciting! Should we have pork belly tonight to celebrate?”

In Jae winced, pulling her phone to a bearable distance away her ears until the noise died down. As she propped her phone closer to her ears again, In Jae’s lips twitched hesitantly to a smile.

She was truly happy for her younger sister. Truly.

It wasn’t out of pity she decided to hire her but out of acknowledgement of her capabilities as the former CEO of Sam San Tech. Sure, some of Dal Mi’s decisions she found questionable but as someone without prior experience, Dal Mi demonstrated a promising future. In Jae was excited to convince the rest of her team to hire her but when she heard the excited yells, recognizing that one of the voices belonged to her mom, In Jae felt herself falter a bit.

 _Has eomeoni ever been_ this _happy for me?_

Maybe it was unfair of her to think this way.

After all, this was a happy moment for Dal Mi. But it wasn’t hard for In Jae to think back on the times when it was just her and her mom living together in her step father’s apartment. The many nights when they had their meals together and not one word exchanged between them. Occasionally her mom would ask about her grades but that topic would swiftly switch to the recent shopping purchases she had made that day.

Sure, she sounded happy when the topic was about fashion but had she ever sounded… _proud_?

 _Maybe it’s_ me _that brings out the worst in people…_

In Jae grimaced at the thought, the sudden realization shedding some sense in her life. What other reason could it be for why her step dad preferred his son over her, who was competent in every way possible? 

“Hey, hey let me speak to In Jae,” a familiar voice over the phone suddenly spoke up, shaking In Jae from her thoughts. A rustle or two later, the voice continued; this time, a bit more clearly. “In Jae-ah. Are you there?”

 _Halmoni_. In Jae felt a pang in her chest as she tried to gulp down the sudden lump in her throat. “Y-yes halmoni. I’m here. How are you doing?”

If there was one family member she didn’t feel distanced from all the time, it was halmoni. No matter how alone she felt in her family, halmoni never faulted her for her cold and astute personality.

_“Have some corn dogs,” her grandma would greet her when In Jae approached the shop after school. “Did you have a busy day today?”_

_“Thank you, halmoni.” In Jae greeted her in return. She would take a bite of the treat, relishing the warmth and savoriness that filled her stomach like no other. The food her grandma had made very much resembled the type of comfort she sought: warm, filling, and unassuming. “And please don’t tell my parents that I left Dalmi at your store again. I was_ _—_ _”_

_“You were studying longer for your exams, right?” The older female grunted as she replaced the batch of hot dogs that were simmering in the cooker. “It’s okay, I understand. Family is important but so is your future. I support you.”_

Her words at the time were simple but so poignant. In Jae always doubted whether her choices were selfish but halmoni always encouraged her that they were not. That there was nothing wrong with being ambitious.

And of course she would remember those times now when halmoni asked to speak with her... when In Jae spent so many years apart and never bothered to stay in touch.

“I’m doing fine,” her grandma replied. “How about you? Are you eating enough? Are you getting enough sleep? I worry about you, you know. You remind me so much like Ji Pyeong-ah… Aigoo…”

In Jae always found it strange how intertwined the man from SH Venture Capital was with her and her family’s lives. Well, maybe more with halmoni and Dalmi than with her. She was merely a bystander to her family’s situations like always.

“Haha, yes I’m doing well, halmoni. Don’t worry. The office has lots of snacks available.”

“Yes, yes. I heard from Dalmi. But all the new manufactured food with all these chemicals to keep things fresh can’t possibly be healthy for you.”

With that said, In Jae heard some exasperated protests about how halmoni should get with the times. She stifled a laugh. “I’ll keep that in mind, halmoni.”

“Good girl.” Halmoni paused, saying some words to someone in the background. Probably to her mom or Dal Mi. “Speaking of food, you should visit some time, okay? Halmoni will cook you something good.”

Her mind flashed back to the corn dogs she received after school. Oh how she missed those times. “That sounds really nice. I’ll be sure to visit you soon, halmoni.”

—

The lights were off at the administration office but that didn’t stop In Jae from opening the doors and flipping the switch on.

“Ommo, who is it?” A voice shouted across the room. Squinting, In Jae could see a man falling backwards in his chair. _Han Ji Pyeong_. 

“Ji Pyeong-sshi?” As she stepped inside, the woman glanced at the clock whose hands read 9:00 PM _._ “What are you doing here so late?”

“Ah… I was… working on something last minute.” His voice was hesitant and worn down, not like the accomplished and strong willed man she knew him as. “What about you? Is there something you need from me, Seo In Jae-ssi?”

“We hired a couple employees today and I wanted to leave the files for Yoon-gamdoknim to go over tomorrow.”

“Ah, you can leave them with me. I’ll be sure to hand them to her for you.”

“I’d appreciate that,” In Jae obliged, making her way closer to the man so she can hand him the files. As she got closer, however, she could make out the battered red bumps and spots on his face as well as the scent of ointment. She halted. “Are you… hurt?”

The man sighed, getting up and In Jae felt the files in her hand leave her grasp. “It’s a long story. A lot has happened. Halmoni—” he paused, tilting his head towards her and revealing his sunken almond eyes. “Actually, have you spoken to halmoni recently?”

“Uhm…” In Jae wasn’t sure what to make of the tone he used. “I just got off from a call with her a few hours ago actually. Why?”

“Did she tell you...or do you know about her condition?”

“Huh?” 

“I see you don’t know yet.” Ji Pyeong let out another sigh, plopping back down in his seat. “It’s probably best not to hear it from me. You should ask her yourself.”

“O-okay.” A part of her felt envious of his relationship with halmoni and her family. Like now, he seemed to know about family matters that she wasn’t privy to. She didn’t quite understand it but… 

In Jae cleared her throat. That was a matter to broach for another day. 

From the way Ji Pyeong sat still and quiet in his seat, there seemed another issue bothering him.

“Is there...something else that’s on your mind?”

“No,” his eyes glanced over at hers for a brief second before returning to his screen. “Nothing’s wrong. Why you ask?”

In Jae pointed to his hand. “Your hand is in your mouth this entire time. You do that when you’re nervous.”

The man blinked as he looked towards his mouth, as though noticing that he did, indeed, have his hand balled to his lips. “Huh. You’re right. How do you know that though?”

Biting her lips, In Jae scanned the room for an excuse. _Growl…_ Her stomach. The time. Perfect.

“Do you...wanna grab dinner with me?”


	2. only i’m walking slow

_ It feels like I’m the only one walking slow even when I run until I run out of breath _

Han Ji Pyeong. Genius mathematician. Orphan.

Statistically speaking, someone like him who grew up unwanted and impoverished should have never been able to make it as a normal working adult, let alone achieve the levels of success he gained as a venture capitalist.

Even though In Jae had the advantage of her step father introducing her to the business world and making important connections, she often heard the man’s name be thrown around a couple times.

_ “Remember that startup no one believed in? It’s making millions now.” _

_ “Yeah and it’s getting acquired by Kakao Talk!” _

_ “Isn’t it all thanks to Han Ji Pyeong?” _

Because she somehow never met the man in her many years of networking, she began to forge an image of Han Ji Pyeong in her head. He was a representation of what she strove for, except he lacked the resources she had received, even if it was later in her life. He occasionally popped in her mind when in face of a troublesome client or a connection who refused to speak with her.

_ What would Han Ji Pyeong do?  _

And immediately, the thought would inspire her to firmly point out the unfair requests being made or forcibly remind that  _ she _ was the one in charge.

He was an odd source of comfort to her. Not her mom, her step dad nor anyone who she was familiar with both on a personal and physical level. It was the elusive and successful Han Ji Pyeong, who she had never met or spoken with, that kept pushing and reminding her that nothing would be gained without sweat, blood and tears.

Which was why In Jae was almost startled to see the man she had only seen through the image results of her search engine at the  _ one  _ networking event she invited Dalmi to attend. 

She was engaged in a conversation with an investor when, out of the corner of her eyes, she spied a familiar neat mess of raven hair she had always seen online.  _ Han Ji Pyeong _ . Excusing herself, she made her way closer to make sure that the man was indeed him but she paused and backed up.

A bit of her wasn’t quite sure she was ready for her illusion to shatter. And a bit of her was slightly hesitant to come to terms with the intense stare he held towards the direction of Dalmi and the man she claimed to be Nam Do San.

Since then, In Jae had tucked away her admiration for the man and started realizing she didn’t necessarily need to rely on someone to get things done. She always had. Even if she didn’t manage to nab Sam San Tech as her developers or her group’s AI algorithim had been humiliatingly one upped by Dalmi’s group, In Jae found herself staying headfirst in her company’s mission to create products that enabled creators through AI. She did see Han Ji Pyeong occasionally, as was expected with him being the mentor and venture capitalist of Sandbox, but he never paid much attention to her.

She wasn’t quite sure whether to her disappointment or relief.

But little did she know that one evening, she would be having ox bone soup at 10pm with the man she revered so much.

“One shot?”

Looking up from her meal, she saw the man across from her holding up a shot glass. She obliged, filling her empty one with soju and clinking it against his. “Cheers.”

They down their drinks respectively, her face contorting to a slight grimace before immediately returning to its usual state. She wasn’t a huge drinker but she did like the bitter taste that dissolved into warmth and sweetness. 

“You sure can drink,” Ji Pyeong commented. 

In Jae shrugged. “So can you.”

Silence filled the air between them as they continued to eat their meals. In Jae wondered if she should say something but there was something about the fact that they were sharing a meal together this late made the moment feel oddly intimate.

She wasn’t sure whether she wanted to ruin it.

“So…” In the end In Jae decided to break the ice. “...why are you so down?”

The man paused in his meal, but resumed, never looking up. “It’s nothing… just...wondering if my words actually do more harm than good...”

“Oh?” Though his words were vague, In Jae could deduce what exactly he was talking about.

News travelled fast within Sandbox, especially when all the startups worked in the same building. Shortly after Sam San Tech’s buyout and the developers were shipped off to America, In Jae had overheard the whole mess from her own developers.

_ “Did you know Han Ji Pyeong caused the death of Kim Dong Su?” _

_ “Ommo, ommo. Wasn’t he Yong San-ssi’s hyung? I always thought Ji Pyeong-ssi was harsh but I didn’t think he’d go that far…” _

_ In Jae paused at the entrance in front of her office, not wanting to interrupt the conversation between her engineers. Although they’ve been working for a couple months now, she noticed they maintained a distance from her. She never minded of course. As long as they produced the work, they could treat her however as long as they remained respectful. _

_ At times she wished she could be as close with them as Dal Mi appeared to be with her engineers but that was just the difference in their leadership approach and the people they chose to work with. _

_ “Yeah, I heard he gave some advice to Yong San-ssi’s hyung about how lacking their business was.” Shin Jung rolled her eyes, her hand feeling her table for the rubix cube she kept around. “He sounded pretty scary. I hope we don’t ever end up with him as our mentor.” _

_ “That’s hardly grounds for accusations,” In Jae scoffed to herself. She wondered if the very premise of creating an environment that cushioned budding startups from the harsh realities backfired on itself. If the full story was as Shin Hyun and Shin Jung described, In Jae didn’t think there was any harm in what Ji Pyeong advised. _

_ The man was definitely not without faults. She had heard the unconstructive criticism he gave to Sam San Tech before, and sometimes his words felt layered with unbridled frustration. _

_ Was it frustration from not being able to help them out himself? A feeling of inadequacy that things will turn out for the worst no matter how much he helped out? _

I can relate to that… __

_ In Jae shook off her thoughts as she decided to enter the room, her presence prompting her engineers to jump from where they chatted and sprint to their respective desks. _

“You’ve done nothing wrong.” In Jae finally said, eliciting a stare from Ji Pyeong. 

For the first time that evening, she could see the black irises of his eyes, swirling and swallowing her. She had never seen such sparkling eyes, almost like a starry sky. 

“I… don’t know the full story but from what I heard, it sounded like you were giving them valid advice about what was wrong with their company. You’re not responsible for how they took it.”

“But…” His lower lip quivered, voice dying with every word that escaped. “...it led to someone’s suicide.”

“It’s not  _ your _ sole responsibility.” In Jae interjected firmly. “A person’s death way more complex than that.” She almost felt her voice cracking, as she tried suppressing memories that urged to surface but were shut down by her defiantly. “Multiple factors culminate that leads to someone in that state. You were just doing your job.”

For a couple of seconds, the man stared at her blankly before sighing wearily. “I don’t know if I can fully accept that but… thanks.”

In Jae nodded. She didn’t intend on forcing her opinion about someone else’s life onto that very someone but she was glad to have been taken seriously. “Anytime. Cheers?” 

She held up her beer can and a small twinkle appeared in the man’s eyes.

“Cheers.” 

They clinked their cans.

Taking a long sip from her can, In Jae looked around. Tables of various people — those in business suits, those in worn out clothes, those in school uniforms — were dining loudly around them. The food tent nearby was bustling with passerbys approaching with late night snack orders, the scent of tteokbokki and fish cakes wafting over to where In Jae and Han Ji Pyeong were seated. 

“I wish I was here more often…” In Jae felt the words slip from her lips before realizing what she had said, her eyes darting towards Ji Pyeong, who eyed her curiously.

Red and warmth filled her face. “I-I mean. I’m always cooped up in the office when I work or at the library studying back when I was a student. I’ve never been around here often…”

_ You are a paboo, In Jae-yah. _ In Jae brought her can to her lips, her eyes flickering back and forth from her beverage to the still and quiet man.  _ Why are you talking like this? _

_ Must be the drinks. _

Concluding that it was alcohol doing the talking, In Jae pouted at the sight of the can in her hands running dry.  _ Aigoo… how many drinks do I have left… _

Still refusing to interact with the man, In Jae clumsily felt around the table, desperately trying to grasp an unopened can of beer to drown her embarrassment in when laughter stopped her.

“S-sorry,” the man shook his head, waving his hand as though to signal her to continue. “It’s just… I’ve never seen you this way Won In Jae-ssi.”

“See me in a clumsy way?” The woman grumbled, deciding to give up finding another drink. 

“Well yes, but...” Calming down, the man gently placed a cold cylindrical metal into her hands. She drunkenly blinked.  _ A can of beer. _ “I just never imagined you felt the same as me. You were always surrounded by people. You always seemed like you were having a great time.”

“Well so are you,” In Jae barely let out as she cracked open the beer can and clumsily downed a couple of sips. “You are always… talking to others… I hardly ever had the chance to talk to you.”

“Won In Jae-ssi wanted to talk to  _ me _ ?” There was an unidentifiable hint of humor in his voice, one that In Jae wasn’t in the proper mind to process. She did make out the little creases appearing on either sides of his lips and she found herself smiling a bit.

_ I don’t… remember seeing dimples in the image searches... _

—

She didn’t recall how she arrived at the footsteps of Seo residence but she did remember ringing the doorbell, banging the window like no tomorrow, and rushing in as soon as the front door slammed open.

“HOW  _ DARE _ YOU?” Her words slurred as she stumbled into the living room, her eyes hazy and face burning. She could still make out the blobs of her younger sister, who had grabbed hold from her entrance, and her mom, who slowly walked over with irritated sleepy eyes. 

_ What time is it even... _

“U-unni,” Dalmi appeared by her side, one hand touching her lower back and the other grasping tightly at her arm. “Did you drink a lot? Why are you here—”

“ _ HUSH _ !” 

“Aigoo,” Her mom clicked her tongue disapprovingly, a hand on her neck as she started making some cracking noises. “If you are here to make a big fuss, at least do it before we go to sleep.”

“ _ Eomeoni _ !” In Jae’s shout startled the two woman, rendering the duo speechless. Noticing this, a smile spread across In Jae’s face. “Hehe,” she giggled. She clapped her hands together. “You’re listening to me!”

“W-what is this girl saying?” Her mom said in a hushed, shocked tone. She had made her way over to Dalmi, letting the female be her human shield. “Dalmi, do something.”

“How would I know?” Dalmi hissed back. “Shouldn’t you know your daughter more than me?”

“ _ Again! Again! _ ” In Jae frowned, her voice raising an octave. “You’re depending on Dalmi  _ again _ . When  _ I  _ chose you, eomeoni. When  _ I  _ did everything I could to support us.”

“Unni!” Dalmi panicked, sensing the seething presence behind her. “What are you saying? Eomeoni cares for you too. Are you upset about something—”

“And you!” Her finger shot in the air, landing, with great speed, just centimeters away from Dalmi’s eyes. “Why do  _ you _ make everything a competition? You wanted to show me that you could outdo  _ me _ ? Do you not know how hard I work? Are you mocking all the struggles I went through?”

“What?” Dalmi’s mouth hung ajar as In Jae felt her grip loosen. “You know that’s not what I meant at all. But you do have an advantage being older and having connections through your step father—”

“And for that I’ve regretted,” In Jae erupted, patting her chest. “I’ve lived  _ all  _ my life regretting, and regretting. I never once forgot about you, appa, and halmoni. I wanted to help.  _ I  _ wanted to be that sandbox dad set out for you. I wanted to be the sandbox for everyone. But... everyone ...everyone just leaves.”

The words had just flowed out her mouth without In Jae fully realizing. It took her a couple seconds to register that the uncomfortable and burning feeling she had was from the intense stares of the women around her. She tried shaking off the drunkenness from her eyes to discern their expressions better. 

_Shame?_ _Anger? Disappointment?_

Unable to reach a conclusion, she attempted to speak again but felt, suddenly, all sense of control escaping her. Her blurred vision slowly darkened as the ladies around her shrieked.

“ _ Unni _ !”

“ _ In Jae-yah _ !”

“Aigoo...” In Jae barely made out a third voice she had not heard yet. “Is that In Jae-yah? What are you two doing? Bring her into the room already.”

_ Halmoni… _

Her world faded to black.

—

_ “Dalmi!” _

_ Her shouts fell short as a bang came from the impact of her younger sister falling off the swings...again. It had been a frequent enough occurrence that their mom warned In Jae that the next time it happens,  _ she _ will be punished for not looking after Dalmi properly. _

_ It was an unfair punishment especially when she could barely resist turning down her younger sister’s requests, especially when she got passionate about how she would chase after aliens if she swung high enough. _

_ She enjoyed Dalmi’s imagination, even if they could be absurd at times. _

_ “Ahhh, sorry! I-I’m sorry!” In Jae spluttered, frantically trying to appease her crying and injured sister. “L-let me go grab some band aids. Wait here.”  _

_ When she came back, a blanket tucked in one hand and a box of band aids in another, she found her sister happily swinging again, her dad appearing crouched to the ground, his hands dirty from the newly laid out sand he had set beneath the swings. _

_ In Jae’s grip tightened around the blanket she brought as she plastered a smile and exclaimed, running up to her dad and sister, “Appa!” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So far, I always end up writing the In Jae and Ji Pyeong parts after I’ve written the other parts. For an In Jae / Ji Pyeong fic, I sure am adverse to writing their moments. XD Just kidding, I guess it’s harder for me to find the right words to describe their scenes. Nevertheless, I hope I did them justice and any feedback is welcomed. :) 
> 
> Thanks again for all of your kind feedback from the last chapter. I never expected to get as much support as I did. *heart* Hope to continue having them, even if it's to point out how I misused some honorifics (an incredibly grateful shout out to a reviewer who did this).
> 
> Hope you have enjoyed this chapter and please stay tuned for the next!


	3. so many things i’m curious about

_so many things i’m curious about_

  
  


The world was a colorful blur and a sharp ringing in her ears for a couple seconds when she finally came to. Bright light shone on her as her eyes slowly adjusted, her mouth smacking together for any form of moisture as she dared not to itch her dry throat.

_Where...am I? What happened?_

Attempting to prop herself upright, In Jae tried racking through her mind over what exactly happened last evening. She vaguely recalled inviting Han Ji Pyeong for dinner and having some drinks. What exactly happened towards the end of their conversations and after they parted was a complete mystery to her.

_Wait…_

Wide eyed, In Jae immediately looked around, flinging the blanket off of her to inspect, only to find that she was still wearing the lavender shaded jumpsuit she had on the other day.

_Phew...okay no mistakes could’ve happened right..._

“Unni.” Slightly jumping at the voice, In Jae turned, seeing her younger sister sheepishly standing by the door frame. In Jae blinked, slowly realizing the cozy white and pink walls, ceiling window with turquoise laced curtains and other vintage touches were signs of _Dalmi’s_ room, not Han Ji Pyeong’s place.

Huh? Then whatever happened with Han Ji Pyeong?

_How did I end up here?_

“Not sure,” Dalmi replied, startling In Jae a bit. “You just came banging at our door around midnight or 1am. You were pretty loud, unni.” Her younger sister held out her thumb, a silly smile spread across her face. “Respect.”

Not that it made In Jae feel any less embarrassed.

Memories of her tirade and complaints with her family came rushing to her then, and she internally groaned over how immature she had sounded.

_Why did I say those things?_

“That’s alright unni,” she felt a patting hand stroking her back. Her sister’s soft voice and warm breath hovered over her ears. “We are your family. We understand. Now get dressed! We still have work today.”

“O..okay…” Not having the energy to retort, In Jae wearily side eyed Dal Mi. “Say… how do you know what I’m thinking?”

“Hm?” Dalmi got up, walking to a wardrobe and opening a drawer. “What do you mean? You’ve been speaking this entire time.”

_Oh great. So now I’m so out of it that everything I’m thinking, I’m actually speaking out loud._

“It’s fine, it’s fine.” Dalmi comforted, turning around with two shirts in hand. “Anyways, you need to change into something clean. Which shirt do you want to wear? Dooly or Gildong?”

In Jae grimaced. “Why are there only two shirt options? Are there better options than these?”

Dalmi shrugged. “It’s laundry day. It’s fine if you don’t want to though. You’ll just have to work all day in clothes that smell like soju.” 

“Who said I didn’t want to wear the shirt?” In Jae made a grab for the pink one. If she had to subject herself to the horror of wearing a tacky t-shirt, she might as well wear the one in her favorite color. “I’ll take this one. Since when did you become so gutsy?”

“Since last night when I realized unni cared so much about us!” Dalmi giggled, plopping down on the bed and wrapping her arms around In Jae’s waist affectionately, her cheeks pressed against her side. 

“Ugh get off of me.” Shoving Dal Mi gently, In Jae began taking off her clothes, a part of her retching from the strong scent of soju and fried food. Strange how just last night she was enjoying everything about the late night street cart dinner but as soon as reality came, she was readily discarding every possible trace. “I need to dress up.” 

As she threw on the shirt and looked at the nearby mirror to readjust her hair in its proper and usual neat state, she spied, out of the corner of her eyes, her sister looking over her intently. “What is it?”

“No nothing…” Dalmi shook her head. “I just think it’s surprising you chose the same one Team Jang-nim chose.”

“Team Jang-nim?” In Jae’s eyes narrowed. “Do you...mean Han Ji Pyeong-sshi? He chose _this_ shirt?”

“Yes.”

“Wh-why…” The older woman wanted to shake off the implications of the man having the opportunity to choose to wear a shirt in Dalmi’s possessions. She had seen the stares the man held for the younger woman but she didn’t know their relationship extended far beyond that. “...don’t tell me he stayed over for the night…”

“He did. Him and Nam Do San.”

“ _Nam Do San as well?!”_

“Unni!” Dalmi scowled at her crossly, her fingers in her ears. “What are you being so loud for? Were you thinking…” A sudden knowing look flashed in Dalmi’s face and her lips curled mischievously. “...were you having _dirty_ thoughts, Unni? Did you think me and Team Jang-nim _did_ it?”

“N-no.” Feeling her face warm up, In Jae turned back to grooming herself. “Of course not.”

Dalmi continued to tease some more, only stopping and scurrying out the door when In Jae took a pillow and chucked it over towards her.

Right after the door closed and the pillow hit the door, Dalmi popped her head in once more. “Once you finish up, come over and have breakfast with us okay? Halmoni and I cooked some hangover soup for you.”

Smiling at the sound of that, In Jae got herself ready, throwing on her blazer and glancing herself in the mirror. Having the blazer on top of the shirt didn’t look so bad actually. Thankfully she had tucked away her blazer in her purse last night so it didn’t get ruined.

Her smile stilled for a second, eyes fixed at the crossed armed, and chin jutting Gildoong on her t-shirt.

 _Just what_ is _Dal Mi’s and Ji Pyeong’s relationship?_

—

When In Jae emerged from the bedroom, she spied the dining table all set up with some side dishes, steam wafting from the large bowl of hangover soup in the center. Dalmi was sitting at the end, perking up when she saw In Jae walking over.

“Come sit,” she said, gesturing to the seat next to her. “I poured some of the soup into your bowl.”

“Thanks…” As she sat, she looked over to the kitchen and living space area. “Where’s everyone else? Eomma? Halmoni?”

“They’ll be out soon,” Dalmi waved dismissively. She handed In Jae a metal spoon for her spoon. “They usually take a bit longer, bickering about how they’ll sell corn dogs for the day.”

“Corn dogs?” In Jae dipped her spoon into the soup, taking a sip and relishing the comfort. _Hm.. this is pretty good._ “Eomma sells corn dogs now?”

“Yeah, isn’t that amazing?” Dalmi inched closer, her hands cupping over her mouth as though she was whispering a secret. “But if you ask me, eomma makes things ten times worse for halmoni. She never seems to remember halmoni’s instructions or keeps breaking stuff.” 

In Jae laughed. That sounded exactly how her mom was like. Although In Jae admired her mom’s judgement and proactiveness in deciding what was the best course of action, her mom lacked a bit of practical life skills at times. When she was younger, there were far too many times spent at halmoni’s shop for food before supper time since In Jae knew dinner was going to be anywhere from subpar to inedible. After the remarriage, there was little need to cook once her mom was married into a family rich enough to hire their own cooks so thankfully In Jae never had to encounter that situation again.

In Jae continued having her breakfast, occasionally asking Dalmi if she liked to join her but the latter female would refuse, explaining that she already ate. Shrugging, In Jae continued her meal.

“Unni,” Dalmi said suddenly. “Why… why did you decide to hire me?”

Pausing, In Jae blinked at her younger sister. “What do you mean? I hired you because I think you’re capable.”

“No but…” Looking away from In Jae, Dalmi murmured, “...won’t that make you feel uncomfortable?”

In Jae scoffed. “I’ve been through far more uncomfortable situations than this. You don’t become successful without going out of your comfort zone. Besides, why would I bring my personal feelings to business?”

“Whoa,” Dalmi clapped her hands, her eyes glinting under the morning sun that streamed through the window behind In Jae. “Since when was my unni this wise?”

“Since always,” In Jae said matter of factly, taking a long sip of her soup. “You just never listen to me.”

Dalmi pouted, saying some words that elicited laughter from In Jae.

The two then started to talk about other topics, such as clothes, tv shows, and work. In Jae couldn’t remember the last time they spoke so friendly like this, being so used to lace her words with hostility whenever she was around her younger sister. It felt nice and surprising they were able to share this moment so naturally now. 

It felt nice to finally be able to be an older sister and have a younger sister again.

The two continued talking until her mom decided to make an appearance, the woman slowly shuffling her way towards them. 

“Aigoo… glad that you no longer reek of alcohol anymore.”

“Good morning, eomma. It’s nice to see you too.” In Jae sneered, eliciting a snicker from Dalmi.

Her mom rolled her eyes in response. “I have every right to criticize my daughter.”

“Okay eomma.” In Jae was used to the prickliness of her family that she knew her mom’s words came from a place of care, and not contempt. She was just relieved that her mom didn’t seem to hold any grudges from what she said last night. “Are you having breakfast with us?”

“Yes, join us.” Dalmi scooted some space over, patting the available place for their mom. “I cooked the meal so rest assured.”

“Actually…” Her mom bit her lower lip. “Actually, Dalmi, can you give your mom and older sister some space? I have something to say to her.”

“Oh,” Dalmi shot up on her feet instantly, a knowing look crossed her face. “Of course. I’ll just wait outside by the porch.” She turned to the confused In Jae. “When you’re done, come out and we can go to work, okay?”

“O-okay,” before In Jae could continue, the younger woman dashed away. In Jae turned to her mother who was sitting in Dalmi’s place. “What’s wrong, eomma? Do you need something from me?”

“In Jae-yah.” The soft and careful tone froze In Jae as the older woman took hold of her hand, cupping her hand into hers. In Jae felt her mother’s soft skin rubbing against hers. Needless to say, In Jae was thoroughly confused.

“In Jae-yah,” Her mom looked down before giving a small smile. “I’m… sorry.” 

_H-huh…?_

“Sorry for not being a mother to you…” In Jae’s mom elaborated. “...and to Dalmi. I’ve always felt extremely guilty for abandoning Dalmi and your father so… I may have been overcompensating.”

The older woman gave In Jae’s hands another squeeze. “It’s also that... you’ve always been so steadfast and mature for your age. I suppose I forget that you’re my daughter who needs me too.”

“E-eomma.” In Jae was speechless.

Her mom was never the type to be emotional, let alone speak about the pivotal time that had shaped all of their lives. She had always tried her best to be a filial daughter and member of the family. After years without any form of acknowledgement, In Jae had thought she was just never enough. It turned out that her mom was also suffering from tremendous guilt as well.

Liquid started to well up in her eyes as In Jae thought about the many days of her mom taking forever to wake up, and her younger self dismissing the behavior as an act of laziness. How much of that actually stemmed from feelings of guilt that they _shouldn’t_ be enjoying luxuries at the expense of leaving behind their loved ones in a state of poverty?

The tears started to streak across her cheeks as her mother made her way over, arms wrapping around her shoulder and her mom’s words of _“It’s okay. It’s okay,”_ being repeated over and over. The two remained that way for some time, the younger silently sobbing and the older stroking and murmuring comforting words.

An electronic voice suddenly sounded in the air. “ _Two women talking with each other by the kitchen table. The younger one is crying.”_

“Aigoo,” an irritated voice croaked. “Why are you making In Jae-yah cry so early in the morning.”

Emerging from the bedroom, an elderly figure hobbled her way over, a cane in one hand and glassy eyes stilled in one direction. She was quite unlike the steadfast, and vibrant lady In Jae was familiar with, the vicariousness reduced to a withered blind. 

“I can’t see. It’s not like I can’t walk.” But her sass and snapping at In Jae’s mom, who offered a helping hand, was undeniably the grandma In Jae knew and loved.

“H-halmoni,” In Jae stuttered.

The two women let each other go, the older woman scooting over to make room for the incoming presence.

“Sorry, eomma. Did we disturb you?”

“No, I just want to be with In Jae for a moment.” As her mom stepped aside, In Jae felt her eyes stilled, seeing the glossy and faraway look in halmoni’s eyes as halmoni came closer, her smiling lips never dropping.

“H-halmoni. Are you…”

“In Jae-yah, don’t you start fussing now,” Halmoni sighed, as her hands slowly reached forward, feeling the air as though not immediately knowing where to land. In Jae felt herself lean forward and halmoni’s hands stopped once they reached to cup the younger woman’s face. “I thought you were tougher than this. Tougher than your mom and Dalmi at least, that’s for sure.”

“Eomma!”

Halmoni chuckled at her daughter’s distraught. “But you’re here now. Don’t worry yourself and visit us more often, okay?”

Eyes swelling with tears, In Jae struggled to nod, her voice struggling to escape her throat as she felt her breath shorten. “Y-yes. I’ll be sure to visit halmoni. I… I’m sorry. I’m sorry for never visiting.”

Chuckling again, the oldest woman patted her back, bringing In Jae into a warm embrace. “Why are you apologizing? Aigoo, you paboo.”

Her warmth was the final strike to the dam In Jae was struggling to support. In Jae erupted into a sob, crying over her guilt from not visiting her family sooner, crying over her sister’s desire for acceptance from her, crying over her mother’s admittance of not paying attention to her, and, above all, crying over her grandma’s unconditional acceptance and love that remained consistent all this time. 

She didn’t know that she was wrong all these years. She wasn’t alone. She had a loving and supportive family all this time.

—

In Jae and Dalmi didn’t talk much until they reached Sandbox, Dalmi going up to the elevators to press the button for them. In Jae silently followed before deciding to bring up what was on her mind.

“Halmoni… did you know about her condition?”

“Halmoni?” Dalmi asked before nodding knowingly. “Ah, yeah about her vision. I found out about it a couple weeks ago. She worried us all but halmoni being halmoni made sure that the most we can do is be supportive of her.”

“I… I should’ve stopped by earlier. I could’ve helped out and—”

“And do what?” Dalmi frowned. “Halmoni’s health was declining, regardless of what we do or not. What matters is she’s fine _now_. And you’re here now too. 

_Well look at that._ In Jae’s lips formed a small smile. Though she generally disagreed with her sister’s tendency to live in the moment, there were definitely times when setting off without a sail was the best option. With Dalmi pointing that out now, In Jae realized not everything required an elaborate plan.

Sometimes just being present for someone was enough. 

She was about to thank Dalmi when the younger female pointed in a direction. “Oh it’s Team Jang-nim.”

Turning around, In Jae looked to see that the venture capitalist was indeed heading towards them. He had an oddly cheery face, his lips forming a small smile. 

“Good morning, Dalmi-ssi.” Nodding, he looked towards In Jae. Shining in approval, his eyes lingered at the pink top she wore. “I see you got home safely In Jae ssi. Excellent taste in clothes.”

“Oh,” Dalmi whipped her head over towards In Jae, an eyebrow wagging mischievously. “You drank with Team Jang-nim?”

“Yes, I did…” In Jae cleared her throat, ignoring her younger sister and the suggestive tone in her voice. “Ji Pyeong-ssi, how did I get home exactly?”

“You don’t remember?” Ji Pyeong cocked his head, his eyebrows raising in amusement. “I insisted on driving you to your apartment but you demanded to go to where Dalmi-sshi lived. So I hailed a cab, told the driver where you wanted to go and had him call me when he saw you enter the house.”

“Ah…” Still not remembering, In Jae nodded, sensing that there should be no reason for the man to lie. She also wouldn’t suspect Ji Pyeong to be a man of suspicious activities. “Thanks for helping me get home safely.” 

_And respectfully too._

“My pleasure,” Ji Pyeong smiled. “So how do you currently feel—”

“Team Jang-nim,” Dalmi interrupted. “You should’ve seen how much of a mess unni was last night. She was _soo_ drunk. She was pretty much crying!”

“In Jae-sshi?” His voice raised an octave. “ _Crying_?” 

“I was not...” In Jae half pouted, feeling oddly squeamish being at the mischief of her sister and the man she had a meal with last night.

Was it a desire to maintain her cool image? But regardless of how self conscious she was, In Jae noticed the venture capitalist’s attention shifting immediately to her sister, his shoes pointing towards her direction and face entirely fixed onto hers.

A thought popped into her head.

“Speaking of last night,” In Jae interjected, capturing the two’s attention. “I had a _super_ bad hangover this morning but Dalmi’s soup was amazing. You should come over, Ji Pyeong-ssi.”

“Oh yes,” Dalmi smiled immediately. “Come over! I’m sure halmoni would love to have you over more often.”

“Ah, no,” Ji Pyeong gave a small smile, his eyes softening over towards Dalmi but flickering something else when hovering towards In Jae ever so often.

In Jae rolled her eyes, not believing that the confident and resolute man who relentlessly tore down budding startups with his sharp tongue was merciless in the face of her sister. Who would believe the bashful and gleeful expression could be worn by Han Ji Pyeong? In Jae certainly couldn’t until now.

“Okay,” Ji Pyeong finally gave in when the elevator arrived and Dalmi had resorted to pouting. “I’ll come over for dinner some time.”

Dalmi cheered in success, while In Jae nodded, noticing the strange glance Ji Pyeong sent her before contorting to his usual neutral visage.

In Jae dismissed it as something trivial. 

She had always thought she had a lot in common with the venture capitalist but she now found that there was something she couldn’t relate with him. And, for some reason, this difference annoyed her even more than the intense fixation he had towards her sister.

In Jae didn’t quite understand why.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ops, I was aiming to release a chapter a week but it looks like I’m late with this one. For that, I’d like to apologize haha. But man, the past two chapters and this one were actually planned to be a single chapter, lol. I had not anticipated that one planned chapter would span over three, but hey, it is what it is. The more content the better, am I right?
> 
> And whew, a lot has happened in this chapter. I was wondering whether or not to spread the reconciliation between In Jae with her birth family across the story but then I thought: why does fictional familial relationships have to be so complicated? I think that’s what Startup did so well with halmoni and Ji Pyeong: sometimes when you care for each other like family, the hardest part is what leads to the big confrontations and not the actual confrontation itself. Hence, I hope I’m able to capture the complicated feelings In Jae had with her family into simple, unconditional moments that family members have with each other. I also hope you all enjoyed it and look forward to future chapters where the romance will be elaborated more.
> 
> Thanks again everyone for reading. :)


	4. you are there

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ever since I saw a post comparing that Ji Pyeong’s and In Jae’s school uniforms were alike, I have this headcanon that they did indeed go to the same school and overlapped. Of course, that means Ji Pyeong is slightly younger than canon, but let’s pretend that’s the case for this fanfic okay? ;) 
> 
> *shameless plug*: I wrote a fanfic called [Letters from the Heart](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28519629) to elaborate more about this dynamic so please read it if you have the time. :)

_In the tomorrow I picture, you are there._

  
  


“Wait a minute…” In Jae looked up from the photo album that was open to a page between her and Ji Pyeong, her hand stilled over a photo of her younger high school self in a school uniform. “You went to Yongsan High School as well?” 

It had been several weeks since her initial invite to Ji Pyeong to come over for dinner, the man frequenting the residence ever since. At first it was a bit awkward with her mom not having met the man. In Jae’s mom was noticeably flustered by the presence of an accomplished and handsome man, barraging him with compliments and questions of his marital status. But halmoni, being halmoni, had shot down her daughter’s nosiness from time to time, ensuing an argument that reminded In Jae of those she had with Dalmi or mom when she was younger.

No matter how much people aged some dynamics just never seemed to change.

On this particular evening, they had just finished a hearty dinner—a large bowl of tteokbokki, Ji Pyeong’s favorite—when Ji Pyeong being the fastest eater decided to entertain himself in the living room, eventually coming across a couple of photo albums underneath the coffee table. In Jae, being the second fastest eater, joined him shortly after.

They were flipping through the pages when they came across her high school pictures, the man immediately recognizing the uniform she had donned on.

“Yes.” Her nose crinkled and eyebrows furrowed in memory of the man. “I went to Yongsan High School.”

“Huh,” Ji Pyeong leaned back, an indescribable awe dawning in his eyes. “Aren’t we… the same age as well?”

“It’s impolite to ask a woman for her age,” In Jae mockling scoffed, a smile dancing on her lips. “But yes. We are. Funny we never met before.”

“Actually,” Ji Pyeong started saying but was interrupted by a shout from across the room.

“Ji Pyeong-yah, In Jae-yah!” The two turned at the mention of their names to find halmoni over by the table with Dalmi holding her by the arm. “Come take over cleaning for us. We need to do something really quickly.”

The two adults obliged, making their way over to the table of emptied dishes and getting the sink ready for cleaning. 

“Ji Pyeong,” In Jae’s mom spoke up as the man and In Jae stacked the empty, dirty plates on the dining table in a neat pile for ease of transportation to the sink. “Do you have a girlfriend? I have a friend whose daughter I think is the _perfect_ match for you.”

The man’s hand that was passing In Jae a dish froze, the man lifting his face to reveal panicked eyes towards In Jae.

“ _Save me_ ,” he mouthed.

In Jae snickered. As “proper” as her mom was, she could be quite the traditional nosy old woman, attempting to matchmake every young person she knew. It would be quite amusing to see who her mom decided to set Ji Pyeong with and In Jae almost dared to betray the man, feeling very tempted to feign ignorance and continue with the chore at hand. 

Sadly, his widening and tearing eyes were no match for her, as she was starting to feel guilty for her thoughts.

_Why does he have to look like a puppy?_

“Eomma,” Relenting, In Jae spoke up, capturing her mom’s attention. “Maybe you should give Ji Pyeong-sshi a break. He’s been busy with the latest funding rounds for the startups he mentors. I’m sure he’ll date when he can.”

“Aigoo, is that right? How rude of me.” Her mom surprisingly agreed. In Jae sighed, thinking it was the end of any conversations about dating until her mom continued.

“Say… In Jae ah, when was the last time _you_ dated?”

“Wh-what?” Now it was In Jae’s turn to freeze. “I… I don’t see how this is relevant.”

“Nonsense, of course it is. You’re approaching your thirties soon. It’s time to settle down.”

“Eomma!” Knowing it was a futile argument, In Jae bit her lips, eyes searching for an answer but spying Dalmi, and halmoni being too preoccupied in a conversation to notice and Ji Pyeong quietly snickering at the turn of events. 

_Damn it. This is what I get for helping._

“Eomma, I don’t need to settle down now,” In Jae tried reasoning as her mom pulled out her phone and started scrolling, presumably in search of a suitor for her. “I am pretty busy with my company right now. Maybe after it takes off or we get more funding—”

“Yeah and I should wait until I’m all grey haired,” Her mom interrupted. “I hear what you’re trying to say.” 

_Ding!_ Feeling her phone vibrate, In Jae dug out her phone from her blazer pocket, her face contorting at the sight of her mother’s text of a date and address. 

“Is this a blind date?” In Jae muttered unhappily. 

Her mom nodded. “Yes, and don’t be late! He’s the son of someone I met in one of your step father’s social gatherings. He’s expected to inherit his father’s conglomerate…”

While her mom continued to prattle all that she knew of the man she was setting her up with, In Jae found her thoughts wandering elsewhere. _Step father._ It had been awhile since In Jae heard her mom mention him. As far as she knew, her mom had filed for a divorce and change of surname shortly after moving back into the Seo residence. 

Though her step father had taken advantage of her, using her as leverage for his own birth son to get ahead, In Jae couldn’t bring herself to discard her identity as his step daughter just yet. He was the only one, besides halmoni, who had nurtured her career aspirations and given her social connections and business opportunities that enabled her to be as accomplished as she was today.

“In Jae-yah are you listening to me?” Shaking away from her thoughts, In Jae turned back to her mom, who was now holding her phone and revealing pictures of a young man, who she presumed would be her blind date. “Take a good look at him now.”

“Okay,” She leaned in, her eyes trying to focus on the slick black haired man donned in a dapper suit in most of the photos. Curiously, she spied through the corner of her eyes, a certain Han Ji Pyeong sneaking a shy but mischievous glance towards her. 

_Hm…_ In Jae mused to herself while listening to her mom’s ongoing rambling. _This guy isn't nearly as cute as Ji Pyeong ssi._

—

“Entering the competition,” Dalmi argued, “Means we’ll have more exposure. There’s also the chance we’ll earn money too. I think we should do it.”

By her side, In Jae sighed, her expression crossed. “We entered one pretty recently and we don’t have anything new to show for. I think we should be taking on more clients first. Build up our reputation a bit and _then_ enter more competitions once our technology improves.”

Dalmi pouted, turning to her right. “What do you think, Team Jang-nim?”

The man, who had been silent during the exchange the two started having from when they walked out of the house and down the street, blinked, seemingly startled that he was suddenly involved. “Uh… I think at your stage what In Jae-ssi said makes most sense. You also did pretty well in your previous competition so—”

“See?” In Jae triumphantly interjected. “Ji Pyeong-ssi agrees with me.”

“Ugh,” Dalmi pouted. “Unfair.”

Ji Pyeong chuckled as the two sisters continued to engage in their argument over the pros and cons of entering competitions and whether it was a good idea to continue collecting customer feedback and research.

A couple minutes later, Ji Pyeong interjected, his arms gesturing over to a red shiny car parked footsteps away from them. “Well, thank you ladies for escorting me. You may go back now before it gets too dark.”

“Sounds good.” Dalmi waved. “Have a good evening Team Jang-nim! Come on, unni.”

“Actually,” In Jae said. “Can you give me and Ji Pyeong-ssi a moment? I have something to say to him.”

“Ohh,” Dalmi grinned, her eyes narrowing suggestively. “You want some _alone_ time with Team Jang-nim? Say no more.”

In Jae rolled her eyes. “Just go.”

After teasing some more, the younger female finally obliged, skipping back towards their house. Silence settled between In Jae and Ji Pyeong until Dalmi’s figure receded into the blackness of the night sky.

“So, what does the lovely In Jae-ssi possibly have to say to me?” Ji Pyeong finally teased, his dimples appearing either side of his lips.

Despite herself, In Jae found herself blushing. _Ahck, what’s wrong with you In Jae? Calm yourself._ “I just…”

She gulped down her nerves, uncertain what prompted it in the first place. It had been something gnawing in the back of her mind for a while now. The time Ji Pyeong stared at Dalmi and Dosan at her networking party. The time Ji Pyeong came to Dalmi’s aid when she still worked with Sam San Tech. The time Ji Pyeong stared at Dalmi when the three were in the elevator during the first time In Jae invited him over to their house.

“I… I just wanted to know how you were doing with Dalmi.”

“Dalmi?”

“Yes.” Impatience seeped through her voice as In Jae crossed her arms, challenging the man to dare to play dumb with her. “I know you have a thing for my sister, Ji Pyeong-ssi. And because of what my mom said today… I want to see how you were doing. With Dalmi.”

He laughed then, his laughter vibrating with the buzzing night summer air. Over the weeks, In Jae had come to love that laugh—the laugh that was so deep and rich with a general devil may care attitude that was birthed from going through a life of hardships that only Han Ji Pyeong could know about. But this time, his laughter was laced with something else—melancholy.

“In Jae-ssi,” he finally said. “I appreciate your concern but I’m sure that you are also aware.” Before In Jae could ask him to elaborate, the man looked up, his face away from hers and his hands stuffed deeply into his pockets by his side. “I’m no match for your sister. I never was.”

Despite not being given much information, In Jae immediately understood. Dalmi might have not spoken Do San’s name since the man left for 2STO and remained her cheery self but even she caught her sister perking up uncharacteristically ever so often at the mention of America at work.

Ji Pyeong might have been closer to Dalmi physically but Dosan was clearly the closest to her emotionally.

“Well…” In Jae couldn’t find the words to comfort. She wasn’t the comforting type nor did she see any glimmer of hope that her younger sister held any form of affection beyond admiration for the man. 

“Dalmi always was an idiot,” In Jae lamely finished, not knowing what other words to use.

Ji Pyeong chuckled sadly but then winked, joking, “Well, if I can’t be a knight in shining armor for Dalmi, I supposed I’ll have to settle to being one for you.”

“Ugh gross.” In Jae mockingly vomited to the side, eliciting another laugh from the man. “Where was this chivalry when my mom was setting me up? After _I_ saved you from her.”

“My apologies,” Ji Pyeong bowed slightly. “When is the date? Should I come by and whisk you away from the clutches of this blind date?”

Her face heating slightly, In Jae made a face. “How..how do you manage to say all these cheesy words without pause like that?”

“All for the fun of it,” Ji Pyeong waved his hand, opening the door to his car and climbing inside. “Good night In Jae-ssi.”

In Jae nodded, waving until she no longer could see the vehicle and was left with the empty streets all to herself.She turned, making her way back home while also placing her hands on her cheeks.

_Why...do I feel so warm?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Despite having worked at numerous startups, I actually don’t have much familiarity with how they are early stage lol. I think the one startup that comes closest is this six people startup that was about real estate. But I think they generally just went around networking for investors and focused on improving their platform haha. So I guess it’s a bit trickier when your startup is like In Jae’s whose product is meant to be a service to other companies.
> 
> Regardless, I hope the conversations were fairly believable! And don’t fret, the romance will continue to take more focus. :) Be sure to let me know your thoughts and thank you, as always, for supporting me. *heart*


	5. the same dream as yours

_Dreaming the same dream as yours is like walking in the sky._

  
  


Placing her hand on the entrance door to her company’s office, In Jae paused, cupping her head with her free hand. She had a late night dinner with a client the other day and unfortunately had to engage in multiple drinking rounds, the client being a big fan of soju. Needless to say, she was quickly outdrank, feeling buzzed and light headed only half way into their conversation. 

Her phone buzzing, she reached into her pockets, feeling for her handheld when she felt a cold glass container instead. She took it out, a small smile on her lips.

A bottle of hangover medicine. She didn’t have time to purchase one but as she was hurrying to meet the client, she bumped into Han Ji Pyeong.

 _“Oh In Jae-ssi,” he looked somewhat startled, as though he was heading over to somewhere urgent. In Jae noticed his hand_ immediately _going behind his back. “Are you on your way now?”_

_“Yup, to see that client,” In Jae held out the manila envelope of paperwork in her hands. “Thanks for your advice by the way. I appreciate it especially when you’re not officially in charge of us.”_

_“For you, always,” Ji Pyeong winked, and In Jae rolled her eyes, chuckling dismissively. She had grown used to the man’s teasings, discovering that the man was surprisingly more affectionate than he appeared._

_Her watch beeped and she noticed the time. “Are you here for Dal Mi? She’s in the office if you need her.”_

_“No, actually,” Withdrawing his hands from his back, Ji Pyeong revealed the small glass he had been holding. “I managed to catch the person I was looking for. Here’s some hangover medicine. You’ll need it.”_

_Blinking, In Jae accepted the bottle before walking off in a hurry to her appointment. “Thank you!”_

The last thing In Jae recalled was the sight of the man’s smile.

Ripping the wrapper and opening the cap, In Jae took a sip of the medicine, entering the office as she did. She felt the ringing in her head subsiding slightly, her mind adjusting to her office and what looked to be her coworkers frantically clicking at their keyboards.

_Wait… frantically?_

“Dalmi-ssi,” She called out to her younger sister, who stood behind their developers and bit her nails with intent focused eyes. “What is going on?”

“Oh eonni,” Dalmi nodded. Despite In Jae’s many attempts at getting her sister to call her by her name to retain any sense of professionalism, Dalmi kept her habit of calling her eonni at work. In Jae eventually gave up, seeing how it didn’t affect her sister’s productivity nor did it undermine her authority with her coworkers.

“It looks like we are under attack.”

“ _What_?” In Jae whipped her head towards her developers—Shin Hyun and Shin Jung, the sibling developer extraordinaires. “Hyun-ssi, Jung-ssi, what is going on?”

“We don’t know,” Shin Hyun growled in frustration, his hands rubbing around his neck. “We logged in this morning to check up on the traffic for the latest client and—”

“—noticed one of our endpoints getting flooded with a ton of users,” Shin Jun finished. “Except it looks like legitimate traffic so we’re currently investigating what’s going on.”

In Jae nodded. “Okay sounds good. Did anyone post this in our status page?” With the two developers nodding no, In Jae turned to Dal Mi. “Dal Mi-ssi, did you post on our status page?”

Her sister, seemingly shell shocked by the mention of her name, stuttered, “N-no. I wasn’t aware we had one. Instead I told Do San he can—”

“Dalmi-yah!” As though on cue, a man rushed in, jumping on a nearby computer and clicking around. “I heard the situation from you. Let me see what’s going on—

Cocking her head, In Jae walked over, pressing the power button of the computer and eliciting a glare from the man.

“What,” The man, a cleaned up, professional version of the meek programmer In Jae remembered him to be—Nam Do San, seethed. “Are you _doing_?”

In Jae was fairly impressed. She didn’t recall the man to be particularly proactive and expected him to back down from her actions. His time at 2STO must have helped him grow in ways she wouldn’t have fathom. But then again, she did truly believe in his potential. She had originally tried poaching him and his teammates back in the past, after all.

But regardless of whether he was capable or not, that didn’t change the fact that he was not an employee of her company.

“I should be asking you that, Nam Do San.” She swiveled the chair he sat in to force him to face the exit. “You are _not_ part of our company. You are _not_ legally allowed to access our codebase. Please leave this instant.”

“But,” He looked up, his eyes darting between her and someone behind her—Dalmi, if In Jae had to guess. “I could help—”

“We have perfectly capable engineers here,” In Jae interrupted, noticing the Shin siblings perking up towards her at the mention of themselves. “And you coming here is only going to distract them. Please leave.”

“Eonni,” she felt a tug on her arms. “Maybe we can have Do San help us out, hm?”

In Jae scoffed at the suggestion. “Are you saying you don’t trust our engineers?” 

“No, but—”

“ _Please_ ,” She pulled her sister off of her, shoving her lightly against Do San and pointing to the door. “I need both of you to leave _now_. No hard feelings but I think that would be distracting to Shi Hyun-ssi and Shin Jung-ssi.”

Initially opening her mouth to protest, Dalmi seemed to decide against it, turning around and shoving the outsider she had brought in. “Let’s go Dosan.”

“B-but,” the man protested but went along once seeing the insistent expression Dalmi threw. 

Once the two left the room, In Jae turned back, looking to see her developers gazing at her expectantly.

“Is there something wrong?” In Jae asked, receiving affirmative nods that nothing was wrong.

“We’ve confirmed that there is a security breach,” Shin Jun informed, as In Jae sat in her seat. “I’m blocking the attacker’s IP right now and Hyun is trying to fix the vulnerability. I’ll help out once I’m done.”

In Jae nodded. “So is our service usable right now?”

“It should be,” Shin Hyun perked up. “We should hold off on announcing it’s okay right now though. Otherwise more people might find the vulnerability and it’ll get harder to fight off the potential attackers.”

“Sounds good,” In Jae logged onto the status page. “In the meantime I’ll write that that’s the case to our users.”

An hour or so later was spent with the developers furiously typing and discussing what the issue was and how to possibly solve it. At some point, a whiteboard was rolled over, the two siblings scribbling some flow charts of what looked like gibberish to In Jae. Occasionally she would intervene, asking for what would occur from the user’s point of view. Sometimes she would get an explanation and other times something would light up in the developers’ eyes, prompting another discussion of what seemed to be a strategy to account for what they initially missed.

Regardless, In Jae was sensing a difference in attitude the two developers had towards her. They were typically professional and respectful towards her but never had they been this collaborative, taking the time to explain to her the issue of what was happening at hand. 

Another hour passed when Shin Hyun clicked the button that deployed written code from development to production.

“It’s done!” He exclaimed, eliciting cheers from the other two women. 

“Good job!” In Jae raised her hands for high fives, the siblings clapping their hands against hers. “This was definitely something that came out of the super close deadlines I set for us recently. For that, I apologize.”

“Oh no unni,” Shin Jung exclaimed. Amused, In Jae raised an eyebrow at her sudden addressed title. _Did she just call me...unni?_ “This was also mine and Hyun’s fault too.”

“Yes,” Hyun nodded. “We didn’t do an audit of what may go wrong. We’ll be sure to write up a report and create tickets for that after.”

Grinning, In Jae beamed, feeling pleased by her coworkers’ enthusiasm. “Well, it sounds like you both have learned your lessons. That’s really all that matters.”

Noticing the clock hanging above their heads, the hands reading 3PM, In Jae continued, “I think you both can take the rest of the day off. This was a stressful incident and we don’t have anything urgent.”

“Wait, are you serious?” 

“Are you sure we're allowed to?”

“Yes,” In Jae plopped into her seat, lips curling into a smile. “Unless you want to work until midnight with me, getting ready for that competition in two months?”

At the mention of more work and, more importantly, _non technical_ work, the twins immediately saluted and bid her goodbye, rushing out the door to enjoy the rest of their day workfree. In Jae chuckled, wondering if her workaholic attitude made her coworkers hesitant to slack off in fear of appearing incompetent.

The truth of the matter was: if they got work done faster than the typical office worker in an 8 hour work shift, In Jae had no qualms with her employees taking off earlier.

Opening the status page site for their company, In Jae started updating the status of their service when she looked over her computer monitor briefly, realizing that she hadn’t heard from Dalmi and Do San for a while.

_Are they still around…?_

Brushing those thoughts aside, In Jae continued at her work, feeling apprehensive at the many emails she had to draft up to stakeholders about the incident. Thankfully it was over now and damage was minimal.

She was an email away from finishing when she heard a feigned cough. Looking up from her screen, she spied a certain Han Ji Pyeong walking in her direction.

He whistled, “I heard all about the incident today from Dalmi and your developers before they left. Sounded like you handled it well. Good job.”

“Naturally. Did you expect me to do any less than a good job?” In Jae high fived his offering hand. “Are you going to treat as a reward?”

“Are you _demanding_ a reward from me?” Ji Pyeong asked incredulously but, a second later, held up his arm, exposing the bag of egg drop sandwiches he had bought. “Lucky for you I was considerate enough to come here not empty handed.”

“Nice,” In Jae said, getting up from her seat. “Let me go get Dalmi and we can eat together—”

“Actually,” Ji Pyeong gestured In Jae to sit down as he seated himself in the chair next to hers. “Let’s have food with just us two.”

“Huh?” Despite her confusion, In Jae complied, hesitantly reaching for a sandwich. “Why?”

“Looks like she and Do San have a lot to catch up on.”

“Ah.” And it all clicked. The man’s slightly dejected self and her sister’s absence. In the midst of saving her company from attackers, In Jae was slightly worried how her sister would be emotionally in the presence of the man who she had been vying for years. Sensing she wasn’t around and Ji Pyeong’s desire to give them space, In Jae assumed she was doing alright.

However…

“Are you...sad, Ji Pyeong-ssi?”

“Hm…” Ji Pyeong took a bite from his sandwich, his eyes looking upwards in thought. After a couple seconds, he admitted, “Not as sad as I thought I would be. As I said before, I’ve accepted that I’m not a match for your sister. I also don’t hate Do San. In fact, I was probably jealous of him…”

“Jealous?”

“Yes,” Taking a napkin to wipe his mouth, Ji Pyeong sipped some water from an unopened bottle. “I first knew about Do San when I was little and saw him on television, winning a math competition. I remember his parents going up on the podium with him and seeming _so_ proud of him. As an orphan, I wanted that. I wanted to be surrounded by people who love me.”

“Ah,” In Jae nodded. “I can understand. I’ve been distant from my own family and going after my career and dreams by myself for so long. But… things are different now.”

She noticed the skeptical look Ji Pyeong gave her and she laughed, insisting, “No really! I’m serious. Now, you’ll always have halmoni, my mom and Dalmi as family. That will never ever change.”

“That is definitely reassuring,” Ji Pyeong agreed. “But wait… you never mentioned yourself. Are you not part of the family?”

Face reddening, In Jae opened her mouth to give any excuse as to why she didn’t mention herself but no words could fall out. How could they when even she wasn’t quite sure why.

“W-we don’t have any drinks,” She said instead. “Let me go grab some.”

Before Ji Pyeong could continue, she grabbed her wallet and ran out, not catching the bemused look on the man’s face.

—

“Ugh, why did I say that,” In Jae groaned, while pressing the button for two bottles of green tea. The woman was standing in front of the vending machine she found at the end of the hallway from where her office was. For the longest time, she was staring at the machine, her mind constantly surfacing back to the conversation she just had with Ji Pyeong.

 _“_ _Now, you’ll always have halmoni, my mom and Dalmi as family!”_

 _Why didn’t I mention myself?_ In her head, In Jae tried adding her name, a part of her disliking the sound of that and a part of her uncertain _why_ she disliked that. It wasn’t like she wasn’t uncomfortable with the man’s presence, his company during her family meals was comforting and his advice she received for her business was incredibly insightful.

_So why do I feel so weird calling him family?_

“Seo In Jae-ssi.”

At the sudden sound her name, In Jae jumped, glancing at the male who seemed to have materialized by her side without notice. The man himself backed up a bit, his arms going up as though surrendering himself to her. She squinted, having a sense of deja vu from the sight of his side swept black bangs and meek smile.

_Kim… Yong San?_

“Yong...San-ssi?” She hesitantly asked, the man noticeably perking up.

“You remembered me,” he exclaimed.

“Of course,” She swallowed down the thought that she had _barely_ recalled who he was. “How are you doing?”

“I’ve been doing well.” The young man started elaborating more about his time in America and at 2STO, going into great details of the infrastructure he and his friends had built to help generate additional billions of revenue for the company. As he detailed his contributions, In Jae couldn’t help but notice his change in demeanor: he didn’t shy away from looking straight into her eyes and sounded both confident and proud of his accomplishments.

He was almost an entire different person from the software engineer she remembered trying to poach from Dalmi a couple years ago. She supposed Nam Do San wasn’t the only one who favorably benefited from the transition. 

“So,” she said after the man finished speaking. “I’m guessing the entire Sam San Tech crew is here.”

She noticed his shoulders visibly slumping into a hunch a bit before the man forced a smile. In Jae cursed to herself, realizing too late that Sam San Tech was technically disbanded when the developers ended up being the only employees 2STO acquired. The event was no doubtably a sore spot for everyone involved.

“Yeah it was unfortunate,” Yong San remarked, “But just because we failed years before doesn’t mean we’ll fail this time. I have no doubts we’ll succeed.”

Impressed by his tenacity, In Jae was about to say that she thought he would definitely succeed and, dared she say, make a better CEO than Nam Do San. Even though he had a relapse in judgement with his personal grudges against Han Ji Pyeong years ago, Yong San’s current recount of 2STO indicated an impartiality and forward thinking required of a business leader.

She wondered what Sam San Tech could have been like if _Yong San_ was the CTO or CEO instead of Nam Do San.

But before she was able to put that into words, a voice interrupted her. “In Jae-ssi. What’s taking you so long?”

The two adults looked towards the incoming man. Han Ji Pyeong.

“Ah, Ji Pyeong-ssi,” In Jae nodded, realizing she hadn’t picked up the drinks that the vending machine finally dispensed. She bent down to reach the two drinks, waving one of them. “Sorry I was talking with Yong San-ssi—”

“Kim Yong San,” Ji Pyeong interrupted, halting in front of the man. There was an odd iciness present in his voice that sent chills down her spine. In Jae wondered if there were still lingering resentment between the two men—Yong San, for his sorrows of his brother’s death and Ji Pyeong, for his guilt of “being” unreasonably responsible.

Or perhaps it was something else, from the way the latter inched closer towards her.

“Han Ji Pyeong,” Yong San nodded. The men didn’t exchange any more words, Ji Pyeong’s eyes flickering towards In Jae ever so slightly.

Unsure of what was happening, In Jae fought the urge to storm off right then. _What’s this? Why does it feel so awkward?_

Thankfully, Ji Pyeong broke the ice for her. “Great to see you after all this time,” Ji Pyeong nodded. “But I need In Jae-ssi for some business. In Jae-ssi?”

“Oh yes,” In Jae balanced the two drinks from being cupped in her hands to getting pressed against her chest in her arms, the coolness of the drinks forcing her to alternate. It was getting a bit annoying and she was relieved the man was able to sense her discomfort. “We can catch up later, Yong San-ssi. Bye!”

As the two made their way back to the office, Yong San called out, “In Jae noona, let’s grab food some time!”

_Noona…?_

Confused by the man’s invitation, In Jae looked over her shoulder and called out, “Sounds good!” She turned back, noticing Ji Pyeong sneaking her a peek before continuing his trekk to the office.

In Jae blinked.

If she had to say which perplexed her more—Yong San’s invitation or Ji Pyeong’s actions—she most definitely had to choose Ji Pyeong’s actions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Something that irked me so much about the original hacking scene in Start Up, is how Nam Do San and his friends were able to waltz into the company and immediately start preventing whatever cyber attack Dalmi and In Jae were experiencing. So unrealistic. As an outside programmer, how would they know how the tech is architectured? How would they know how to debug and figure out what’s happening? And above all, isn’t it a liability issue if they are touching code that belongs to a company they don’t work in? 
> 
> Anywho, I hope I was able to rewrite it satisfactorily, as well as paint the Shin siblings more favorably. Kinda sucks the only other developers we were exposed to were cartoonishly competitive and greedy to make the harmful naivete of the main developers appear endearing by comparison. Not that I hate our main developers, I just want better representation haha.
> 
> Thanks again as always for reading and supporting the fanfic! :)


	6. i'm falling

_When the stars gather and shine on us, I’m falling._

  
  


She squinted, noticing that the third light of the chandelier hung above her was shaped oddly compared to the rest—exactly how she remembered it was when she was younger and had frequented the place for midday meals with her mom and stepfather.

In Jae adjusted her blazer, taking the cup of tea from the table in front of her, sipping before realizing she had already emptied it.

Helping herself to another pot of earl grey tea, In Jae wondered if it was intentional of her mom to set up her blind date in the same hotel her step father frequented. Even though her mom rarely spoke of her step father now, In Jae knew how excited both of them were when her mom first started seeing Woo Doo Jung. The man was a successful businessman, with all the knowledge and charisma to build the massive empire that was Nature Morning.

She could still recall all the late nights her step father spent working, and her curiosity that enabled her to have some of the most invaluable lessons she had in business.

Her grip around the teacup and saucer tightened. _If only...it didn’t turn out to be a means to help out oppa…_

She remembered the exact moment when she realized the true reason why her step dad was helping her.

_“Adeul,” she had overheard her step father in his study._

_The college student at the time had just returned from her school abroad, taking the mandatory month off as do students from American universities get the luxury of. She had decided to fly back to Korea to pay a visit to her family only to find out her mother was consistently out shopping and her step dad and older step brother too busy with their business._

_Occasionally, she was able to catch them, like this instance._

_Hovering in front of the door, In Jae chose to press her ears close, not wanting to interrupt just yet. There were times when it felt nearly impossible to interrupt the conversations between the man and his son._

_Blood indeed ran thicker than water._

_“Adeul,” her step father had repeated. “What are you doing? If you continue to slack off, In Jae-yah is going to outperform you.”_

_Beaming, In Jae looked at herself in the hall mirror across from her, making sure she looked settled and groomed before making her presence known with a knock._

_She never got a chance to knock, though._

_“I didn’t agree to adopt her,” he continued. “So I can end up handing everything over to her. She was supposed to make_ you _look better, adeul.”_

Setting her thoughts aside, In Jae refused to let her past memories shake her now. She knew how devastated she was that one of the few men who she felt took her seriously and supported her merely saw her as a prop for his kin to succeed, especially when she felt the sincere efforts he made to help further her business career.

The man was definitely a cold blooded businessman, who was able to brush aside emotions for the sake of his end goals.

“Won...In Jae?”

Glancing, In Jae saw a young man in a business suit, his hair and eyes matching the ones she saw in pictures. She frowned to herself. _He’s...half an hour late._

“Yes, that’s me,” Plastering a smile, she proffered her hand, the man giving it a firm squeeze. “Please, sit down.”

“Finally,” the man exclaimed, plopping down in the loveseat across from her almost immediately. “You can _not_ believe the imbeciles I had to deal with today.”

“...imbeciles?” The man nodded, taking her flabbergasted tone as cue to drone on about the most mundane anger infested rambling In Jae had the displeasure of listening to. Oftentimes an issue with a secretary giving him the wrong resource or a report not finishing an assignment due to super last minute deadlines sounded like a miscommunication on _his_ part but In Jae was promptly interrupted by the man when attempting to point this out.

In Jae eventually gave up, having dealt with this type of character throughout her career. The difference about this moment than others was that the man was her blind date, not a colleague. Therefore she saw little need to set him in his place and settled on cutting the date short as soon as she found an opportunity.

_And then I can go home and complain to eomma about what she was thinking—_

“In Jae?”

Turning to the sound of her name, In Jae jumped a bit from her seat, her step father and brother standing just mere feet away. Sensing he had captured her attention, the older male walked closer, the younger pathetically trailing behind. 

_Ugh just my luck why are they here?_

“Abeoji,” she nodded, noticing her date instantly preoccupying himself with his phone. Annoyance twitched inside of her. _I know he’s a terrible date but...could he at least be respectful of his elders?_ “What are you doing here?”

“We were meeting with a client,” her step dad curtly said, his eyes twinkling with faux care. “Say, In Jae-yah. When are you going to stop being like this?”

“Wh-what?”

“Running away from home. Not responding to my calls.” Her step dad patted her shoulder, giving it a slight squeeze. “I expected it from your eomma, but not _you_. I thought you were more reasonable than that.”

His patronizing words made In Jae recoil under his touch, her eyes flaming as she bit her lips from screaming words she wished she was able to say. “You...know why I left. _You_ keep throwing away my hard work over towards oppa. When _you_ were the one who taught me so much and—”

“Yes,” he interrupted. “I taught you a lot. And this is how you repay me? By making a scene and running away?”

Shocked, In Jae remained silent, her eyes never once dimming in its anger at her step dad and his unfairness. As the saying went, people never changed. She wasn’t quite sure why she constantly thought that, perhaps, her dad, and the men in her life that she looked up to, would.

“Well, I’ll leave you be,” her step dad finally said. “Enjoy your date, In Jae-yah. I shall contact you again when it’s more...appropriate.”

The man brushed past her, his son trailing after and sticking out his tongue towards her. In Jae rolled her eyes in disgust.

_Once a child, always a child._

“Well,” her blind date remarked when In Jae sat down. She didn’t even bother commenting how he magically no longer had his handheld. “That was startling.”

“Sorry,” she wearily started, unsure why _she_ had to apologize for her step dad’s sudden appearance and to someone she didn’t care much for. “I didn’t expect abeoji to—”

“You’re a pretty bad daughter,” the man cut.

Startled by the straightforward and uncalled insult, In Jae blinked. “Excuse me?”

The man elaborated, “It’s pretty uncouth for women to live on their own when they should be helping out their family or husband, don’t you think?”

Shellshocked, In Jae was unsure what to say. She definitely had her fair share of conversations with men of traditional values of what roles women should take in a household but never had she expected that from a person around her age.

_Is this why I never dated?_

Deciding this was probably her cue to leave, In Jae began rummaging her purse for her wallet and opened her mouth to excuse herself when she felt herself being hoisted from her seat by her arm. She glanced at her perpetrator, seeing a pair of dimples and shining charcoal eyes.

_Ji… Ji Pyeong-ssi?_

“In Jae-yah,” he said. The way he addressed her surprised her, her heart skipping a beat. _Wh-what’s with my heart?_ “Didn’t you say you would be done with your date pretty quickly? Let’s go.”

“Y-yes,” she was slightly confused but obliged, quickly gathering her items and letting him place a comforting hand behind her back, their close proximity allowing her to inhale the sweet lavender scented cologne the man had on.

_Hm… sweet..._

“Hey,” her blind date got up, his face contorted in anger. “Who are you? And what are you doing?”

“Me?” Ji Pyeong paused to glance at In Jae, who remained confused by the entire exchange. Winking, he faced the angry and distraught man. “I’m In Jae’s boyfriend.”

—

“So you’re my _boyfriend_ now?”

“Haha,” the man sheepishly grinned, taking the bowl of noodles that had just been placed in front of her and mixing chives and spices with his chopsticks. “Sorry, it was the first thing that popped to mind. That was your blind date wasn’t it?”

“Yes but as expected of eomma and her taste in men, he was terrible. So thank you.”

In Jae couldn’t hide her smile, a laugh escaping her lips. She glanced around them, taking in the bustling evening of late goers roaming around the park they were in, the occasional passerby stopping to also have a meal.

After whisking her away from her blind date, the man had offered to treat them a meal considering the time and that he had yet to eat. Feeling rather famished from the ordeal herself, In Jae readily agreed, surprised that the man had taken her to a humble family run, outdoor noodle tent bar.

But then again, wasn’t their very first meal at an outdoor place as well?

“Sorry,” Ji Pyeong apologized, taking the untouched meal from her and placing the one he had properly mixed in front of her. In Jae blinked. _Did he...ready this dish for me?_ “I probably should take you to a fancier place but I had to make a quick business here and—”

“Nah, I like it here,” In Jae insisted, taking a slurp of her meal and relishing the warmth and savoriness. “I appreciate the open air. And besides,” She took a sip of water, her eyes wandering to a table nearby with two parents and children happily having a meal together. “I… also feel comfortable here.”

Even though she wholeheartedly embraced her life of affluence, after barely being fed enough due to her parents struggling to make ends meet, her heart craved the simplicity of just enjoying good food surrounded by loud but honest people. Something she had to get used to was how, in her “newer” life, there was a double meaning behind every spoken word. 

Sure, she always lived with the mentality that she shouldn’t be troublesome for others but it was another issue when In Jae felt that it was _society_ telling her she needed to keep her guard up.

But sitting across from Ji Pyeong and watching the people around her dig into their meals with no care in the world, In Jae felt...freed.

Ji Pyeong laughed then, having finished preparing his own dish. “I enjoy this too.”

“Oh?” 

“Yes,” Ji Pyeong elaborated after swallowing a mouthful of noodles. “Money...was always a necessity for me. As an orphan, I didn’t have anyone I could depend on financially so naturally I prioritized making enough.”

Having known his situation, In Jae could deduce what financial troubles the man went through. But hearing it from the person himself felt oddly intimate, as though In Jae was getting confidential information no one else knew.

Which was ridiculous because _she_ knew about that before he even told her. She tried telling herself to stop getting oddly flattered as the man continued.

“But...even though I kept earning more, I felt...lonely.” She felt herself pause at that, eyes raising from her bowl and towards the man who kept staring down at his own meal. “...achieving one goal just meant I had to find another goal to achieve. I guess...I never felt that I had time to catch a breath. And now, when I finally do, I guess I realize I’m… too late.”

It wasn’t too much of a mystery as to what he was referring to. “Are you talking about...” In Jae hesitantly started. “...Dal Mi?”

His lack of response gave her his answer. _Yes_.

In Jae sighed, setting her chopsticks on her bowl. “I… can understand.” Prompted by the man’s curious glance, In Jae continued, “I was always driven by _my_ own ambitions to prove to me and others what I can do. I had to try to get into a good college. After getting into college, I had to get internships. After internships, I had to make a name for myself in my dad’s company. But…”

She paused slightly, unsure why she was disclosing all this information to a man who might not be interested. But his focused attention on her gave her the courage to divulge facts and feelings she had kept to herself for so long.

“I...didn’t realize how meaningless…” Her earlier encounter with her step father and dismissal of opinions from late father flashed in her mind. “...how meaningless it all was since… abeoji never really wanted me to be a part of his company.”

Whether she was referring to her step father or late father, In Jae wasn’t entirely sure. 

“But,” In Jae said, “I think I’ve come to terms with a lot of that.”

“How did you do that?”

Remembering her family who she could now turn to and rely on, In Jae smiled. “I realized the importance of making and keeping genuine connections. It helps ground you in your pursuit of success.”

Ji Pyeong nodded, clapping his hands together. “Whoa, very well said. As expected of Won In Jae.”

He kept clapping a couple seconds too long, garnering the attention of a few people around them, who snickered. Blushing from embarrassment, In Jae grabbed his hands to a halt, hissing, “Stop that. You’re bothering others.”

For a couple seconds, the man’s eyes flickered from hers to her hand resting on his. His voice became uncharacteristically soft, but not unfamiliar. “Say, In Jae-ssi. Remember when you said I have halmoni, your mom and Dalmi as family?”

“Y-yes?” Her heart beating, In Jae wasn’t quite sure where he was leading nor was she sure she had the answer to whatever he might be trying to ask. “Or no...what are we talking about again? I don’t remember.”

Ji Pyeong clearly didn’t buy her sudden feigned memory loss of their conversation a week ago.

“I’m just curious,” the man smoothly commented, his lips quirking ever so slightly, dimples on either side deepening. “Why didn’t you include yourself? Aren’t you part of the family?”

“I… I…”

Before In Jae was forced to answer, the waiter, thankfully, came by with the check, the woman releasing the man’s grasp and reaching into her bag for her wallet to cover the meal. During the entire exchange of scrambling to pay the bill and excusing herself home, In Jae didn’t dare to look in the man’s eyes, managing to hail a cab before Ji Pyeong insisted to drive.

Once in the vehicle, In Jae let out a sigh, her hands above her chest as she calmed herself. She looked down at her hand, noting to herself how soft the man’s fingers felt in hers and how cold she felt without them.


	7. i'll carry you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She heard some whirring coming to a halt and a pant before the man spoke. “Of course! To what do I owe the pleasure of receiving a call from you?”
> 
> Fighting back a blush that seemed to surface whenever she interacted with Ji Pyeong these days, In Jae said, “Sounds like Do San is coming over for dinner this weekend. You probably shouldn’t come over.”
> 
> There was a pregnant pause before the man replied. “Ah, they’re officially back together.”
> 
> “Yes.” In Jae wasn’t sure what else to say but the forced apathy in his voice over the phone slightly irked her. “So I’m just calling to warn you to not come over this weekend.”
> 
> “Why?”

_I’ll carry you and walk._

_Even in deeper hardships, I’ll protect you._

  
  
  


“Do San is coming by for dinner this week.”

 _Clang!_ None of the ladies, besides Dal Mi, in the room turned to the source of the sound: her mom had dropped the pan she was wiping clean, the dish clattering on the ground loudly. Dal Mi gasped, helping her mom and complaining why no one else wasn’t making a move. Gradually, the other females resumed their previous chores: In Jae sweeping the living room and halmoni sorting out some fresh ingredients they had just received for her hot dog food cart.

They remained that way with Dal Mi awkwardly hovering by the dining table until halmoni broke the ice.

“What does Do San want to eat?”

On cue, Dal Mi clapped her hands, rattling off a list of dishes the software engineer enjoyed, and their mom joined in with a bunch of inquisitive questions about the man.

In Jae, however, paused in her sweeping, setting the broom to the side as she excused herself quietly from the room to someplace more quiet.

She was apprehensive hearing Dalmi’s announcement that Do San was stopping by for a meal. Though maybe she shouldn’t be. Since the man’s appearance during her company’s cyber attack, Dalmi had been declining her invitation to grab lunch during work more frequently.

While In Jae wasn’t particularly upset since her developers were more eager to eat with her and Ji Pyeong stopped by every now and then, she was rather suspicious of her right hand lady at work sneaking into their work meetings late after lunch with an uncharacteristically sugary smile that lasted through an overabundance of giggles in conversations.

_They’re back together. Do San and Dalmi are dating again._

In Jae was happy for her younger sister. Truly. She could sense that the breakup took its toll on her ambitious, and bright sister and how peppy Dalmi became when he entered back in her life. In Jae couldn’t even play the overprotective unni after hearing how Do San was from halmoni.

_“Halmoni,” She asked when she saw Dalmi and her mom were out of earshot, the two women scurrying away into their bedroom to pick the perfect outfit Dalmi should wear for a presentation the next day. “What are your thoughts about Nam Do San?”_

_“Nam Do San?” Halmoni looked up from her latest work: plucking the ends off of the fresh batch of bean sprouts she purchased that day. She had gotten them cheaper than usual, or so she claimed. “Ah, the name of the man Good Boy and I used?”_

_“Yes…” In Jae said. She had gotten the gist of how halmoni and Ji Pyeong were connected, piecing the bits she had gotten from both parties. It was a sweet but strange relationship, one that In Jae could hear about forever and ever. “Dal Mi used to date him. How is he like?”_

_“Ah,” Nodding, halmoni tossed another bean sprout into the basket. “Nam Do San. He’s a very precious boy. Very kind. Very smart. Did you know he won a mathematics contest when he was young?”_

_“Oh really?”_

_“Yes! He even made this,” The older woman fiddled around her chest until her hands grabbed hold of her phone. She unlocked her screen and showed the help app she used to help guide her. “He made this...after seeing how I was unable to see as well. Look how well made this is.”_

_In Jae blanched._ Oh great. So Nam Do San is smart, sensitive _and_ made an app to help halmoni. No _wonder_ Dalmi fell for him.

 _As In Jae went back to what she previously was doing_ _—_ _reviewing the upcoming reports she drafted for meetings later in the week_ _—halmoni tapped her shoulder._

_Getting her attention, halmoni winked. “But if you have to ask me, Ji Pyeong-yah is the best.”_

_“Wha-what?” Her face flushed. “Why are you mentioning Ji Pyeong-ssi all of a sudden?”_

_“Who knows,” halmoni whistled, going back to her work and leaving In Jae feel utterly confused._

Brushing off the memory, In Jae glanced at her phone, scrolling through her contacts before finding the one she was looking for. _Han Ji Pyeong._

Selecting the contact, she tapped her feet impatiently, hearing her mom continuing with her interrogation about what Nam Do San did, and every other personal information she could think of in the background when—

“Hello?”

In Jae blinked. _That was quick._ “Annyeonghaseyo Ji Pyeong-ssi, this is Won In Jae speaking,” she almost bowed before realizing what she was doing.

Was she so used to giving the man some form of greeting that she did it even when they were just talking over the phone? “Sorry to bother you this late but can I talk to you right now?”

She heard some whirring coming to a halt and a pant before the man spoke. “Of course! To what do I owe the pleasure of receiving a call from you?”

Fighting back a blush that seemed to surface whenever she interacted with Ji Pyeong these days, In Jae said, “Sounds like Do San is coming over for dinner this weekend. You probably shouldn’t come over.”

There was a pregnant pause before the man replied. “Ah, they’re officially back together.”

“Yes.” In Jae wasn’t sure what else to say but the forced apathy in his voice over the phone slightly irked her. “So I’m just calling to warn you to not come over this weekend.”

“Why?”

“What do you mean _why_?”

Annoyed, In Jae ran a hand through her hair. She never understood the torture men put themselves for thier first loves. It was as though any maturity and success they gained was thrown out the window when it came to their first love.

She would never be _that_ desperate for her first love. That desperation would only be solely reserved for her goals. She swore.

“Don’t cause trouble for yourself, okay?” She warned. “Just come some other time.”

After a couple of minutes of insisting, In Jae finally hung up.

_Well that is one crisis averted._

She walked back into the living room, finding her mom still questioning and her sister sadly at the mercy of personal and borderline intrusive questions. Dalmi slightly brightened at the sight of her older sister though, her lips mouthing _Save me_.

In Jae nodded, turning to their mother. “Eomma.”

Pausing in her rant, her mother looked at her. “Hm?”

Dalmi shot her an expectant look.

“Did you know,” In Jae started. “That Do San came back from America several weeks ago and _barged_ into our office?”

Dalmi’s face fell as her mom soaked in this new fact, immediately launching complaints about the man being around for weeks yet not a single word from Dalmi until now was uttered. In Jae snickered, walking over to help halmoni who watched the entire exchange with amusement.

In Jae might have been supportive of her younger sister and her love life but it didn’t mean she wasn’t going to try to have fun with it when the opportunity presented itself.

—

She glanced at the packaged meat before throwing it into the cart. “I thought you weren’t coming.”

The man In Jae was talking to was none other than Han Ji Pyeong, the venture capitalist conveniently appearing at the footsteps of their apartment when In Jae was forced to go on grocery shopping duty. After several protests, In Jae was convinced to allow Ji Pyeong to aid her in her chore and now they were roaming through the market in search of produce to include in that evening’s choice of meal: hot pot.

“Who me?” Ji Pyeong innocently asked. “I just stopped by for a meal, just like how I usually do.”

In Jae scowled, knowing that the man’s drop ins were never consistent, his only consistency when there was an event worth celebrating over and there was definitely _no_ major holidays or events that called for one.

“Dalmi told you when this was, didn’t she?” If she had thought about it, she did recall several times when she noticed the man and her sister talking right outside her office that week. Whenever she tried to interject, they immediately dispersed with the excuse of a sudden meeting.

The excuses were most likely fake because as Dalmi’s superior at work, In Jae had access to her schedule and could easily remember that she didn’t have anything scheduled.

But of course, being the preoccupied person she was, In Jae didn’t pay any heed.

“Don’t be mad at her,” Ji Pyeong said suddenly, dropping a pack or two of frozen tteokbokki into the cart. “I told her to not tell you since you were so _passionately_ keeping me away from the greatest meal you will have.”

“I’m telling you that’s not it.” Her voice was exasperated. “I wanted to keep _you_ away from the two lovebirds. Won’t… won’t it hurt you to see those two together?”

He simply chuckled. “Who knows?”

“You… perplex me,” In Jae finally said, letting the man take over the cart. The man continued to chuckle and In Jae let herself relax, throwing the extra packs of tteokbokki she kept finding in the cart.

“Hey,” Ji Pyeong wailed, “My tteokbokki!”

—

When the two arrived back at home with bags of fresh produce in tow, they were surprised to see the dining table being seated by not _only_ Nam Do San but the entire original Sam San Tech members—Lee Cheol San, Jung Sa Ha, and Kim Yong San—as well.

Noticing their appearance, Kim Yong San gave them both a wave.

“Noona,” he called, surprising In Jae a bit. “There’s a seat available for you here.”

He patted the chair next to him and In Jae blinked, taking a cautious step forward towards the offered spot after handing the produce to her mom who was helping halmoni and Dalmi prepare the ingredients for hot pot.

Right before she sat, however, Ji Pyeong stepped in and plopped right down.

“This seat is closer to the kimchi,” the man explained, pointing to the dish in front of him. “And anyways,” He turned to Yong San, his lips curling into a little smile. “I can catch up with Yong San-ssi. How is everything going?”

“O-oh…” Yong San’s eyes flickered from Ji Pyeong to In Jae, who rolled her eyes and grabbed another chair to sit next to Ji Pyeong. “...everything is fine.”

“Ah hyung,” Nam Do San stood up, bowing. “You arrived? How have you been?”

“Ji Pyeong!” Lee Cheol San, the third engineer that made up the San trifecta and the only engineer In Jae was unfamiliar with, yelled, his words slurring. “You bastard! Are you bullying Yong San _again_?”

“Again,” the woman, a brown haired beauty, beside him crossly muttered. “Stop drinking so much. You can barely handle a single glass.”

As the conversations continued with the guests bickering among each other, In Jae silently observed, enjoying the carefree liveliness around her. The food eventually arrived and everyone calmed down a bit with the presence of halmoni and her mom; though Dalmi had to sternly shoot her friends warning glares from time to time.

Regardless, In Jae enjoyed it, having never hung out with everyone at once before. There were moments when she couldn’t relate to the memories they were regaling but there was something about the laughter and joy that sparked in their eyes that comforted her.

At some point she spied Ji Pyeong and her sister slipping away and almost entertained the thought of following the two in case something explosive happened—or, at least, that was what In Jae told herself. She was most definitely _not_ the least bit concerned for the man and his potential first love coming to an end so abruptly tonight.

But minutes later and when she finally got the courage to, the two returned, each going back to their respective dynamic at the dining table.

Shrugging, In Jae presumed it was an issue to concern herself another time.

Refilling her glass with soju and taking a sip, In Jae let out a satisfying sigh. It tasted as sweet as the current evening, a flavor she wished to retry over and over again.


	8. i wanna believe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In Jae’s mom turned to Ji Pyeong, expectancy brimming in her eyes. “As a man,” she started. “Do you think it’s attractive for a single woman to have a younger married sister?”
> 
> Ji Pyeong’s eyebrows rose in amusement, the man sneaking a peek at In Jae who shook her head to not to entertain her mom with an answer. Ji Pyeong turned back to the woman in question.
> 
> “Well,” he said, winking at In Jae. “If the single woman is In Jae-ssi, I feel like any man will be lucky to have her.”

  
  
  


_ I wanna believe that you holding my hand will last forever. _

  
  
  


Over the past several weeks, she had been hesitating whether to ask about the time the man and her younger sister had snuck off on their own during the dinner they had together with  Sam San Tech. But despite the amount of time that had transpired, In Jae could never seem to find an opportunity to talk with the man alone.

Either she was busy with a client or he was busy with the fresh batch of startups in Sandbox. When both of them happened to be free, there was usually someone else in their presence. Typically the person was Dalmi, though Yong San had been dropping by more frequently, which explains Dalmi’s increasing disappearances during lunch time.

If Yong San was available, Nam Do San was likely to be around as well.

Overall, In Jae didn’t mind. She was happy as long as Dalmi was happy. And Yong San provided a fresh opinion to counter her and Ji Pyeong’s usual skeptical perspectives. 

But she couldn’t deny the immense feeling of relief and excitement that washed over her that day when she received a text from Ji Pyeong.

_ Ji Pyeong: Want to work at my office and grab dinner after? _

She had received the message during a meeting with her coworkers, a smile immediately spread on her face as she typed in her reply.

_ In Jae: Cool. I’ll stop by. _

Her coworkers were quick to pick up on this, even when In Jae quickly averted to her usual poker face.

“Ohh,” Shin Jung teased, pausing in her presentation. “What is In Jae unni smiling about?”

“It has got to be a man,” Hyun chimed in. “Noona doesn’t even look  _ this _ giddy when we tell her about the increase in adoption we’re seeing.”

“In that case,” Dalmi piped up, winking at her older sister, who felt herself burning from embarrassment. “I think I know  _ exactly _ who she’s speaking with.”

She had immediately hushed her coworkers, telling them to get on with the meeting as they had a tight deadline coming up. Due to her authority as CEO of the company, In Jae was mostly successful and the rest of the meeting went by as it did before she got the text. Once they started filing out the conference room, however, she was met with an insufferable barrage of proddings and teasings, only managing to escape by burying herself in work and waiting for everyone to leave before slipping her way to Ji Pyeong’s office.

“Yo,” the man greeted, not even lifting his expression to meet hers. He had developed an uncanny ability of knowing when she was nearby. “You can sit in Park Dong Chun’s seat.” 

Setting her belongings on the desk, In Jae looked around briefly before settling herself. “Where is your assistant when you have so much work,” In Jae teased.

Ji Pyeong looked up, eyes twinkling. “Celebrating an anniversary with his girlfriend. Should I reprimand him for not prioritizing work?”

“ _ Only _ reprimand?” In Jae mockingly retorted. “I think you should fire the man for insubordination.”

The two adults burst into chuckles, enjoying poking fun at the reputation both had gained from their respective coworkers. It was interesting how their no nonsense attitude and sharp tongue led others to believe they were controlling and inflexible. While that might have been the truth for Ji Pyeong a couple months ago, In Jae could tell how the man had mellowed greatly, Ji Pyeong having far more patience and kinder words for the companies he currently mentored.

A couple jabs and comments here and there, the duo settled into their respective rhythm, the room silent besides the furious typings from their laptops.

After a couple minutes, In Jae enjoying the intensity and focus the man’s presence brought, the woman decided to ask the question.

“So,” In Jae offhandedly commented, her eyes never leaving her laptop screen. “What were you talking with Dalmi about?”

Caught by surprise, the man asked, “What do you mean?”

“A couple weeks ago,” In Jae clarified. “When I told you to not come over for food but you did and everyone else did too.”

Granted, she could have texted him the question. They had each other’s numbers ever since the time she showed up drunk to her family’s residence. In Jae belatedly realized that when she noticed an untouched text message from the man a couple days later.

_ Ji Pyeong: Did you get home alright? _

The woman thought it was adorable of the man to immediately text her out of concern and it dawned on her how concerned he was to have asked about her state when they met at the elevators the following morning. 

But In Jae was never the best at texting and so their exchanges never went beyond asking when the other was going to arrive at some mutual outing or if the other could grab some produce on their way to the Seo residence.

That was fine with In Jae. She preferred face to face conversations to something as impersonal as texting. It was also far too easy to avoid conversations.

“Oh,” Ji Pyeong folded his arms across his chest, “You saw me and Dalmi? Is In Jae-ssi  _ staring _ at me now?”

In Jae rolled her eyes at his teasing. “You wish.”

Laughing, the man shook his head. “I was merely wishing her and Dosan happiness. That is all.”

There was a pause before In Jae quietly asked, “Are you...sad?”

Ji Pyeong cocked his head. “I would be lying if I said I was completely happy. But I’m not completely sad either. It’s like… I can finally write the last letter to my first love.”

“Ah, that sounds nice,” In Jae sighed, sinking deeper into her seat.

She recalled casually asking Dalmi about her history with Ji Pyeong, finding out how he wrote letters to help Dalmi feel less alone. The story was very touching, and very much like how she thought the man was like today —warm and supportive under a tough and hardened exterior.

“I wonder what’s that like.”

“Hm?” Ji Pyeong blinked. “Have you never come to terms with your first love?”

“Well,” In Jae chuckled lightly, admitting, “It’s more like I’ve never been in love. I’ve always been too busy trying to make money and prove myself.”

“Ah, makes sense,” Ji Pyeong snapped his fingers in realization. “I’d also feel bad for the poor chap who has to handle your wrath.”

“You are  _ rude _ ,” In Jae scowled, lightly punching her peer in the shoulder, the man erupting into laughter from the impact.

He continued to tease, the female drowning the man out by going back to work. Eventually the man did the same and the two continued working late into the night side by side.

In Jae couldn’t have had it any other way.

—

Although the blind date she had did surface in her mind occasionally, she never thought why her mom never asked how it went until one day after the family ate together and were settled in their respective spots: In Jae and Ji Pyeong working on their respective laptops on the dining table, halmoni and Dalmi doing some chores, and her mom being the busybody that she was.

“So In Jae-yah,” her mom sounded a bit artificial, though In Jae was too focused on her work to initially realize. “How did your blind date go?”

She felt herself freeze and noticed the typing hands of the man in front of her pause as well.

“It went…” In Jae hesitantly answered. “...alright.”

_ Slam! _ The older woman’s hands barely grazed against hers but the impact startled both adults. In Jae shivered, not wanting to meet her mom’s wrath but sensing an aura that pretty much forced her to.

“ _ Liar _ ,” her mom snarled. “I spoke with his mom over the phone. She mentioned you were rude to her son  _ and _ you even ran off with another man!”

Though her mom’s wrath was never pleasant to deal with — In Jae could remember the  _ numerous _ times she successfully and unsuccessfully shoved blame on Dalmi to avoid getting punished —In Jae felt the man across from her twitch uncharacteristically.

Her own lips curled into a smile.

It was pretty amusing seeing a man who unabashedly intervened her date that day get so nervous in the presence of her five foot tall mother.

Unfortunately, her mom didn’t have the same context and took her reaction as dismissal of her parenting.

“Are you finding this  _ funny _ ? Do you not feel ashamed that—” At this moment, Dalmi and halmoni walked in, the two on their way to relaxing on the couch. Her mom took this as a chance to gesture to the youngest female in the room. “Do you not feel ashamed that your  _ younger _ sister is likely getting married before you?”

“Uh...I don’t think Do San and I are getting married soon, eomma...” Dalmi tried to interject but was silenced by her mom’s glare.

In Jae rolled her eyes. “Does it really matter if I get married before or after Dalmi?”

“Yes!” Her mother exclaimed. “Yes, it does! Think about how badly it would look to men if their potential wife hasn’t married yet but her  _ younger _ sister is. Don’t you agree, Ji Pyeong?”

“Hey, hey, hey,” Halmoni interrupted, her face contorted with annoyance over the triviality of her daughter’s fussing. “Don’t bother Ji Pyeong with your nonsense. And don’t bother In Jae as well. As long as she's happy and not lonely, that’s all we can wish for.”

Ignoring the older woman, In Jae’s mom turned to Ji Pyeong, expectancy brimming in her eyes. “As a man,” she started. “Do you think it’s attractive for a single woman to have a younger married sister?”

Ji Pyeong’s eyebrows rose in amusement, the man sneaking a peek at In Jae who shook her head to  _ not _ to entertain her mom with an answer. Ji Pyeong turned back to the woman in question.

“Well,” he said, winking at In Jae. “If the single woman is In Jae-ssi, I feel like any man will be lucky to have her.”

Though it was clearly lip service, In Jae’s mom seemed pleased. “Very well said! In Jae is a wonderful woman with a successful career. Please marry her!”

As the woman started droning on about In Jae’s prospects, the other women—Dalmi and halmoni—responded with dismissive replies in an attempt to change the topic out of respect for In Jae.

The man remained where he was, listening to the exchange and occasionally winking at In Jae when their eyes met.

In Jae found herself blushing... _ again _ .

_ It’s just lip service. It’s… just… lip service. _


	9. color us

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Wow, how meticulous. Why didn’t you just use Dalmi as an excuse?”
> 
> “Why use Dalmi-ssi when I have you,” he gestured to her dramatically. “To use?”

  
  
  


_ Even when the waves come and color us, I’m falling. _

  
  
  


“Are you sure,” In Jae breathed, as she quickened her pace down the hall, turning around the corner. “You have the papers?” 

Trailing right behind, Dalmi readjusted the folders and papers she had in hand, trying to find the item her older sister was requesting but failing with all the things she carried. A second later, a hand reached over to lighten her load. Shooting a grateful glance at Shin Hyun, one of the Shin twins that were walking with them, Dalmi handed the paper to In Jae.

“Here it is.”

“Thanks,” In Jae took it, glancing over for the umpteenth time the talking points they had planned for for weeks.

It was the day of the K-Startup Grand Challenge competition, an event where applicants had to enter their budding startup to be evaluated through numerous rounds of presentations for a chance to secure further funding and investments from the judges, a remarkable panel of established industry leaders within Korea.

Having already passed initial rounds, In Jae and her coworkers were now on their way to the final round, making their way in the building to the designated conference room.

“Unni, look out!”

In Jae looked up, just merely a couple centimeters in time. Right in front of them were a group of familiar faces: Sam San Tech. The woman wrinkled her nose.  _ Was there more than one competition going on in this building? _

“Noona,” the lead developer and current love interest of her younger sister, said, holding out a hand. “Best of luck.”

The woman stared at the gestured hand.  _ Interesting… _

Ever since she had first met him casually when he came over with his friends, In Jae frequently found him stopping by their house, the man always timidly greeting her and making small talk about how her day was and asking advice.

_ “Do you think,” Do San asked, his head hanging low and In Jae looking up from her work at the table. “...what I did was the right choice?” _

_ He was referring to how he had to make the tough decision to deny his coworkers from implementing another feature that sounded amazing but not quite what their client had wanted or asked for. In Jae took off the glasses she wore for her computer and clicked her tongue. _

_ “Do San-ssi,” She said, her matter of fact tone causing the man to jump a little. “I know you are friends with Cheol San-ssi and Yong San-ssi but you all are starting out. You need to properly identify what is the market fit and what is just your personal desires. As the CEO, you should be affirmative of what’s best for the company. Oftentimes, at your company size, what’s best for your company  _ is  _ what’s best for your friends.” _

_ She turned back to her computer screen. “Once you gain more success, you’ll have more freedom to do what you want. You don’t want to get to that stage first before skipping out on building that solid foundation for yourself. Trust me.” _

_ “Wah…” In Jae blinked, sneaking a peek at the man whose eyes widened and hands holding up his thumbs up. “Yong San did say you have the best advice. Thanks noona, you’re the best!” _

_ “Haha, best advice. What nonsense,” In Jae rolled her eyes, fighting down the blush that urged to surface. “If you don’t have any more to ask, Dalmi’s in her room.” _

_ “Thanks noona,” Do San nodded. But before he left, he added, “But If you ask me, noona, I think you and hyung make a great pair.” _

Hyung? _ In Jae paused in her typing, throwing the younger man a confused look. “Hyung? Do you mean Ji Pyeong-ssi? What are you talking about?” _

_ “Nothing,” Do San winked, stepping away and disappearing after speaking, “Just that you two have a lot in common.” _

Remembering the times the man came to her for advice, In Jae smiled. “Thanks,” In Jae took his hand, giving it a firm shake. 

Nodding, the man and his friends continued on their way. But before they were completely out of each other’s earshot, In Jae heard a shout for her.

“Noona!”

Turning around, she saw Yong San sauntering over, a beverage in hand.

“I had an extra one,” he explained, sensing her confusion. “And you looked thirsty.”

“Oh.” In Jae took the drink, her face almost contorting into a grimace at the sight of it. A container of lychee and peach flavored milk. “Thanks. Good luck with your presentation.”

The man nodded and waved, jogging back in the other direction to catch up to his friends. In Jae turned on her heels, finding the rest of her coworkers glancing at her in amusement. Her eyebrows rose.

“Yes?”

“ _ Noona _ ,” Shin Jun mockingly teased. “You look thirsty—”

“—how convenient. I have  _ just _ the drink for you,” Shin Hyung finished.

The two bursted into laughter and In Jae rolled her eyes.

She wasn’t quite sure what had happened but for some reason the two had managed to poke fun at her personal relationships with  _ certain _ people. Usually they were jabs at her encounters with Ji Pyeong, which oddly seemed to rile her up. 

It was all in good jest though.

In Jae soon picked up on some tidbits such as the male twin having a thing for rubik's cube, trying to aim to be a top speed cubist but often breaking the cube to his advantage and the female twin secretly streaming her gaming sessions during work at times.

They would mention their hobbies to In Jae occasionally, assuming that the extent of what the oldest female knew was through their conversations.

Little did they know, In Jae had dropped by virtually on a tournament or two Hyun was participating in and donated money after watching Jung’s stream.

In return, In Jae allowed the two to joke about what she thought was her nonexistent love life.

“Haha, how funny.” In Jae mocked as her sister quickened her pace to secure them proper seating at the presentation room, the Jung twins following suit and also escaping earshot. The older woman bent down to massage her ankles, wondering why she chose today of all days to break into the new pair of shoes when—

“In Jae-ssi!’

The woman turned to her side, surprised she was being called out when they were all in a rush yet again.

_ Why am I always so popular on days when I am the busiest? _

Dimples and neatly side swept bangs came to view. Han Ji Pyeong. When he came face to face and a feet away, the man smiled. “Hello In Jae. Where’s Dal Mi? I was with some teams but thought I should give her some pointers.”

“Ah,” she pointed down the hallway. “She should be up ahead at the auditorium. You can go ahead. I’ll be lagging behind a bit..”

He nodded, starting to walk past her but then paused, rummaging through his pockets and procuring a bottle. “Thought you could use a drink,” Ji Pyeong explained, and In Jae instinctively stuffed the other drink into her blazer pocket, uncertain why. 

“Thank you,” she accepted.

Waving, he smiled and continued his way to make over to her sister.

In Jae looked at the drink, which turned out to be iced green tea. She grinned, uncapping the drinks and taking a long sip, relishing the fresh bitterness.

—

Walking out of the conference room, In Jae stretched, her coworkers walking right by her side and doing the same. The event was finally over and participants would hear back in a week after the investors discussed which of the companies they were most interested in.

Though relief washed over her coworkers that the competition was finally over, In Jae was thinking over what future competition they could still enter in case this didn’t turn out to be successful—

“Shall we,” Dalmi piped up, “grab a meal together to celebrate? I think Do San should also be done with his presentation as well.”

In Jae felt her stomach rumbling then.  _ A meal sounded pretty nice actually… _

“You two can go ahead,” Shin Hyun said, his arms wrapping over his sister’s shoulders. “We have somewhere else to be.”

“Come  _ on _ ,” Whining, Dalmi pouted. “We hardly do anything together as a team. Shouldn’t we celebrate?”

“We can celebrate again tomorrow,” In Jae reassured. “I think Shin Hyun-ssi and Shin Jung-ssi have some gaming tournament today, right?”

The twins nodded appreciatively.

“As expected,” Shin Jung grinned. “Noona is so cool!”

After rolling her eyes and making the developers promise to make it to a team meal the next day, In Jae turned to her remaining coworker—Dalmi.

“They’re at a place half an hour away,” Dalmi explained, looking through the text she was receiving. “If we grab a cab now we can—”

“—why don’t you go first,” In Jae interrupted lightly. “I need to wrap up on some applications that are due today. I’ll head on over soon. Just send me the address of the place.”

Dalmi’s face fell. “Are you sure? Do you really not need my help?”

“This is nothing,” In Jae laughed. “Nothing worth getting help for.”

Though her face seemed doubtful, Dalmi finally decided to leave, knowing how stubborn her sister could get. In Jae waved her sister goodbye until she was out of sight, the woman making her way back to the conference room to grab a comfortable seat to work in.

The room was still mildly filled with people when she entered, most of which were the cleaning staff wrapping up the abandoned bottles and papers left behind. In Jae nodded to one, explaining she just needed a quick place to work in and settling herself. She did see one investor or two that remained, speaking in hushed groups, whether about the competition or some other topic In Jae wasn’t quite sure.

Typically she would try to interject and make herself known but she had already done that during the event and a bit prior. Right now, she just had to finish submitting applications so she could have dinner with everyone else.

_ Grr… _ In Jae grimaced, hand clutching above her stomach.  _ I better finish this quickly… _

After a couple minutes of furious typing and clicking, In Jae glanced over the site for one last sanity check, hitting the submit button after a satisfactory. She was just about to shut her laptop when someone called out to her.

“In Jae-yah.” She blinked. A stout, balding middle aged man in a sharp business suit stood a footstep away from her, his hands drumming the empty beside her. Won Doo Jung, her step father. “What are you doing here?”

_ More like, what are  _ you  _ doing here? _ In Jae cleared her throat, closing her laptop lid. “My company was entering the K-Startup Grand Challenge. How about you, abeoji?”

“I was a judge for another competition,” he replied. “Though the winner has already been decided. It’s a shame seeing how hard and excited the startups were.”

“Ah,” In Jae wasn’t sure what to say. Even though she did feel sad for the competing startups, she was all too familiar with competitions where the winner was already decided. It was why she was already applying for other competitions, knowing there was a chance the challenge they had participated in turned out to be the same. “I see.”

If he noticed her lack of words, he didn’t show it. Doo Jung continued, “That said, why do you continue to make yourself suffer through these competitions? Come back home. I need you.” 

_ I need you. _ In Jae’s grip tightened. There was a time she would have been elated to hear those words. The fact that someone—especially her step father who had seemingly been nothing but supportive towards her— _ needed _ her. But she knew better than to let herself be dissuaded by the man who cared nothing more than himself and how to prop  _ himself _ better. People don’t change and he most likely realized how useless his son was.

“You don’t,” she replied finally and straightforwardly, eliciting a surprised look from her stepfather. “You don’t  _ need _ me. Abeoji, although I still respect you greatly and am thankful for all the help you’ve given me, I don’t think I am obligated to allow myself to get trampled on for the sake of  _ your _ goal and son. So,”

Tucking her belongings under her arm and standing up, In Jae glared at her step father. “Don’t keep telling me to help you when you know what you’re trying to do. Don’t make me think any less of you than I already am. I don’t want my impression of you to be any worse than it already is.”

Sensing her step dad’s lack of words, In Jae made her exit, lips trembling but teeth biting down to stop herself from gasping. 

_ Don’t look back. Don’t look back. Don’t look back. _

She was barely down the hallway when she heard someone clapping. Looking to her side, she made out Ji Pyeong, walking towards her.

“Wow,” the man whistled, clapping his hands together. “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop your conversation with your dad but, aren’t you a force to be reckoned with?”

“Yes.” Her stress and anxiety seemingly melted immediately, a strange lull of comfort and warmth blanketing her. In Jae stuck out her tongue playfully, “So don’t mess with me.”

“ _ Me _ ? Never,” Ji Pyeong mockingly gasped, eliciting a chuckle from In Jae. Smiling, Ji Pyeong’s expression slightly became more serious. “But honestly, proud of you. Both for what you’ve done and what you said with your dad. I know it took a lot.”

Her eyes lingered on his a bit too long before she replied, “Th-thanks. I appreciate it.”

The two stood awkwardly as the cleaners filed out of the conference room, walking past them and not noticing the tension between them. When the noise finally died, it remained just the two of them again.

Ji Pyeong finally spoke up. “So… we should probably go meet up with Dalmi and the others. Dalmi had texted me earlier.”

“Oh right,” In Jae snapped her fingers in remembrance. “How could I forget?”

“Well,” Ji Pyeong winked. “It’s a good thing I decided to look for you. I’m also  _ starving _ so let’s go.”

Despite feeling flattered, In Jae raised an eyebrow questioningly. “If you were starving why didn’t you go ahead?”

“I need an excuse to be there,” Ji Pyeong explained. “I’m involved neither with your nor with Sam San Tech’s business, you see.”

“Wow, how meticulous. Why didn’t you just use Dalmi as an excuse?”

“Why use Dalmi-ssi when I have you,” he gestured to her dramatically. “To use?”

“Shut up,” In Jae laughed, lightly punching the man. The man chuckled in response, dodging the attempt, the two walking in strides out the building and on their way to the restaurant.

—

When being led to the private room the rest of the gang had reserved, In Jae and Ji Pyeong walked in to see everyone passed out, drunk smiles spread on their lips. Sara was in Cheol San’s embrace in one corner while Dal Mi was leaning into Do San’s shoulder in another. The table was covered with various foods and drinks, the only place available for In Jae and Ji Pyeong to settle was at the end, next to a passed out Yong San.

In Jae inched closer, sniffing and nearly retching from the strong smell of mixed alcohol and fried food.

“How,” she placed a finger under her nose, reaching for the chair beside Yong San. “Is everyone flat out drunk? Weren’t we only an hour late?”

Before she was able to take a seat, the man slid past her, propping himself next to Yong San instead. He patted the chair beside him. “Beats me,” he shrugged.

Rolling her eyes, In Jae sat across from the man, rummaging through the table for something to eat and drink, and taking a glass of alcohol Ji Pyeong poured for them. The two started talking about their respective career prospects and goals — like how Ji Pyeong’s startups were doing and what the sales and projected growth of In Jae’s company were.

At some point Ji Pyeong mentioned how he might want to go off to America.

“ _ Ohhh _ ,” In Jae teased. “Is Korea getting too small for Han Ji Pyeong?”

“Of course,” Ji Pyeong replied back. “America has a much bigger startup culture and it’s much easier for an everyday person to succeed. I want to help inspire promising entrepreneurs.”

In Jae nodded, seeing and admiring the general rags to riches trend in Ji Pyeong’s life. “Makes sense. Help others in the way you never got help yourself. 

In the midst of their conversation, In Jae noticed Yong San stirring a bit in his sleep, and Ji Pyeong promptly shifting in his seat and obscuring her view of the man. Feeling light from the beer, In Jae giggled, taking another sip.

“Say,” In Jae interrupted, not entirely sure if the alcohol or herself was speaking. “Why  _ do _ you try to sit next to me or between me and Yong San?”

The man remained silent, his eyes never leaving hers. “Do you,” In Jae continued, “like Yong San or something?”

“No way,” the man immediately said, and then corrected, realizing how his reply might have came across, “I don’t like Yong San in  _ that  _ way.”

“Hm…”  _ Now _ In Jae was confused, her mind starting to swirl and spin. She clumsily poured herself a glass of water, some droplets splashing over her sleeve. Taking a sip, she asked, “Well… it can’t be  _ me _ that you like me do you?”

As her mind cleared with the cool liquid flowing down her throat, In Jae could slowly make out the mixture of apprehension, and hesitance in the man’s face. She cocked her head.  _ Why is he confused? _

“In Jae-yah,” the man finally said, perking In Jae up. “That’s because… I do like you.”

“Wh-what?” Her grip around the glass loosened, the glass shattering against the ground and water splaying all over them. The two awake adults in the room paid no heed though.

“I like you,” Ji Pyeong repeated, with all the world’s conviction in his words. “I like you, In Jae-yah.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My apologies for how long it took me to release this chapter. The story was initially meant to be finished by next chapter but I was at odds with myself whether I was rushing the ending or not, haha. Anywho, I think I am more or less settled with the direction this story will take. Hope you all continue and finish this journey with me.
> 
> Thank you again for continuing with me this far out already. :)


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